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12/01/2009 - WHITESANDS SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES VISIT SOUTHRIDGE
By Nicollo Ordonez
Last November, our school was fortunate to have Mr. James Efekado and Mr. Babatunde Akerele from Whitesands school. Mr. James is the school's director while Mr. Tulud is a senior faculty member. Whitesands is a 9-year-old exclusive boys high school based in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria. The school wants to see how established all boys schools in the Philippines work.
With only 72 students divided into 2 classes in the school's debut, they have come a long way in becoming an institution that focuses on holistic formation. They have established the collaboration of the home and the school coming in the form of a family day, an annual event similar to our Father’s Day in Southridge. Despite not being run by PAREF (Parents for Education Foundation), the school functions in much the same way a PAREF school would.
We had the opportunity to sit down with them, and they have shared with us wonderful observations of our school. Here are some questions from the interview that showcase their first impressions, comments, and what they learned in visiting our school:
Ridge: What was your first impression of our school?
Mr. James Efekado: Your school is a very nice one. It feels like home because it's much like ours. The system works pretty much the same way. We have a mentoring system that helps students in their personal formation. Just like you guys, we also organize annual camp outs with fathers and sons to highlight the important role of fathers in the family. We've also recently made a scholarship program that we patterned after Southridge's afternoon scholarship program. Although we've just taken in 3 scholars in this school year, we're hoping to help more students in the future.
Ridge: Are all of the students students enrolled in Whitesands Catholic?
Mr. Efekado: Actually, we don't only take in Catholic students but any student with any religion. We do our best to avoid discriminating the students based on their faith.
Ridge: Given these circumstances, is it harder to forward value formation?
Mr. Efekado: Well, we do our best not to discriminate and teach universal values. But Opus Dei is currently guiding our catholic faith and we see to it that when one student graduates, he is a man well equipped with good and sound values.
Ridge: Are the students in Whitesands required to go to mass?
Mr. Efekado: They are encouraged but they’re certainly not required. We want to do our best to make it like Southridge wherein big events such as First Friday mass require all students to attend mass for respect towards God.
Ridge: How are the teachers in Whitesands like?
Mr. Efekado: Currently, we have 50 teachers in our school. It's very much similar to Southridge because there is also one adviser guiding the class in accomplishing their extra - curricular and academic activities.
Ridge: What is the best thing you've learned so far in visiting our school?
Mr. Efekado: The maximizing of facilities and classrooms... I mean, it’s already great that Southridge takes in scholars like the afternoon school. That's probably the best way for the rooms to be maximized. In our school, for example, we have our classrooms used for only about 8 hours a day because facilities like our laboratories are locked during the afternoon. Southridge has done a good job in the schedule of its students.
Whitesands school may only have been a fresh 9-year-old school but its knowledge in turning its students into role models is quite advanced. The school has certainly prepared well in its first few years. They even make use of the mentoring program, which is patterned after PAREF's integral component in shaping students. According to them, this has been very useful in the students' personal formation. They've definitely come a long way with their 9 years.
We are truly thankful for the opportunity to share how our school works with others and hope it continues what it does best - breeding gentlemen.
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