After operating the British Cambridge Advanced Level curriculum for decades, with outstanding records, the Showers Christian High School Group, Port Harcourt, has introduced a crèche, nursery and primary sections in its sprawling premises in Woji and Ngwo–Etche, Rivers State.
The lower school system operates with novel British, American and Nigerian primary level systems, with a flexible boarding system for the pupils, an equally novel idea in Nigerian primary school system.
Kate Ameh, the head teacher told Business School that the aim of the new idea, which operates in American and British systems, is to prepare the children to be able to measure up internationally; especially the British Checkpoint Examination taken by Basic 5 and 6 pupils.
Ameh informed that the flexible boarding system is to particularly reduce late-coming by the pupils; as well as make them bond well with their parents (during the weekends) and school management (during weekdays).
Under the system, the children go home each Friday to their parents, and are brought back into the beautifully furnished school hostels Sunday evening ahead of Monday week classes.
Ameh, informed that the use of one-subject–teacher system, where a teacher teaches only the subject he/she is versed in; rather than the general norm of one teacher taking all the subjects for his/her nursery/ primary class.
She said the pupils are also introduced early into ‘effective library’ system, where they are taught to develop a reading culture – “The aim is to reduce examination malpractices, because by the time the children reach the secondary and high school levels, they have already become confident of themselves,” Ameh added.
Ekama Akpan, managing director, Showers Christian High School Group, said they began the primary section in order to instill Christian discipline and good morals early into the children before they get into the high school level.
Akpan said they had begun a “seamless journey to a better education, from crèche to A’ levels.
“We have begun a journey of teaching our children to begin early in appreciating our value system of honesty and hard work, before they get to teen ages; so that they would develop positive mindsets.
“This is what our Nigerian society needs at this time, when so many young people have lost good morals and godly values. We have to catch them young in building a sound moral and honest system,” she said.
BEN EGUZOZIE
