While my high school is seeking to upgrade one of its programs, HEAL’s school is fighting to maintain the required educational standards. Nigerian schools are evaluated by the State Ministry of Education every five years and our flagship school was last accredited five years ago in 2020.
Accreditation has important benefits for students. Rev. Leo Okonkwo explains, “If BOMCA fails to renew accreditation, the State could revoke our licence to participate in national and state external examinations as required for students to advance from primary into secondary school and from secondary school into university.”
I have written about the national exams our primary and secondary students take as an official measure of academic readiness. Thanks to our great teachers, our students score well every year. In fact, our most recently released national exam results show that 17 of 18 of our senior secondary students passed the mathematics section with distinction!
As BOMCA’s 5-year accreditation is up for renewal in 2025, Education officials will be visiting our school this coming April. But, due to the heavy costs of operating a school for poor children, some of our teachers have left. This is a concern, because a key requirement for accreditation is confirming there are enough qualified teachers for every academic subject.
As a stop gap to replace lost teachers, Rev. Leo has employed recent BOMCA graduates and university graduate volunteers to instruct students in the required academic subjects. However, whether this arrangement will satisfy education officials in their upcoming visit in April is up in the air.
We must retain the teachers still with us and bring back those who left due to hardship. Those who remain embody the Self-Emptying of Christ (Phil 2:6-11), the animating spirituality of HEAL’s mission.
Maria Ndulor, BOMCA Principal, explains, “It is tempting to leave due to delayed salary payments, but we are inspired by the great sacrifices made by Rev. Leo and HEAL to keep our mission alive.” Of course, only YOUR support has made HEAL’s sacrifices over the years possible.
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