A professional counsellor and academic, Dr. Ayodele Womiloju, has revealed that parental discipline was key to the academic success of students. The Don stated this while delivering a lecture titled “Parental Disciple: Setting Appropriate Limits for our Children”, during the 12th Speech and Prize-giving Day/8th Valedictory Ceremony of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, International School (FUNIS).
According to the Guest Speaker, there are different types of parenting, namely: democratic or balanced parenting, authoritative, authoritarian/strict, permissive and neglect parenting. She added that every parent should apply a mixture of some of the types of parenting to achieve better results, noting that permissive and neglect parenting would not add value to a child. Dr. Womiloju likened the home to a garden, and parents in the home to gardeners, saying that by bringing out the best in a child, the parents were bringing out the best in the universe, adding that the home represented the primary setting, where lives of children were shaped and determined since the children, as they grow, gradually internalise social standards, expectations, values and skills that would ultimately facilitate self-control, self-regulating skills and greater sense of responsibility.
According the Guest Speaker, one of the sacred jobs of parents is to teach their children how to behave well and this, they do, through effective discipline, which does not mean subjecting the child to punishment at all times. She noted that discipline does not mean punishment, although punishment can be made part of discipline. He added that setting limits was very important in disciplining children since it fosters and develops their inner self-control. She noted that limits are set in order to prescribe expected behaviour for children and to maintain the standard already established by parents, to help the children adjust to becoming responsible members of the society.
Dr. Womiloju suggested that when setting limits for their children, parents needed to have an understanding of the child’s needs as he/she grows, saying that adolescents tend towards being more independent. She also added that setting of limits should be brief with no ambiguity, as parents should always be available for their children, they must exercise patience and should not be quick to anger, give them the chance that they can be trusted, especially when they are growing older, to become a role model and live by example. She advised all to embark on positive parenting, in order to have a stress-free parenting, adding that positive parenting had been scientifically proven to be of tremendous effect. Dr. Womiloju further noted that positive parenting encourage children to adapt positive values like being respectful, considerate, diligent, thinking positively, independently, having good communication skills as well as developing and maintaining self-esteem, among others.
She further urged parents and teachers to give priority attention to the task of managing their adolescent children, adding that active collaboration and effective synergy between the home and the school would make the task successful. Dr. Womiloju implored them to be obedient to their parents and teachers, who God had divinely ordained, to nurture them in the path of righteousness and good behaviour that would make them attain greater heights.
The Principal of FUNIS, Mrs. Toyin Juba, said that FUNIS remained a student-centered school, where students work collaboratively with their teachers, to improve learning. She noted that the school focuses on good curriculum, academic and moral achievements, learning and sound teaching, which had led to tremendous academic improvement. The Principal noted that they were there to celebrate excellence and integrity, adding that they would honour students that were outstanding in their academic activities, while felicitating with the 2017 graduating set known as the ‘The Trailblazers’. To ‘The Trailblazers’, she charged them to make adequate use of the skills and lessons learnt, in order to equip themselves for life, adding that education was life and they should guard it jealously.
Mrs. Juba appreciated the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ololade Enikuomehin, for his support; FUNAAB School Management Board; Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Oluyemisi Eromosele, who is the Board Chairperson; as well as the Parents Teachers Association, who had worked for better and improved results for the School. Earlier, the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ololade Enikuomehin, commended the Principal and her team for their dedication and hardwork by having an outstanding academic performance, which was one of the best in the country. According to the Acting Vice-Chancellor, the impact of the University would be highly felt in the School this year, adding that they were considering doing the perimeter fencing and also providing a befitting hostel block.
Professor Enikuomehin also congratulated the students for God’s grace upon their lives, while charging them to continue to build on the virtues and academic excellence they had learnt. The chairman of the occasion, Chief Bernard Chidebe, lauded the Principal and staff for their efforts, hardwork and mentorship, adding that University Management and FUNIS Board would institute a policy, whereby the Principal and staff would be duly rewarded annually, in appreciation for their commitments and sacrifice. Chief Chidebe equally commended the graduating class, ‘The Trailbrazers’ for their many accomplishments. He noted that the day marked the end of their six years of studies in FUNIS and the beginning of a new phase of life; a phase of independence and challenges of adulthood. The chairman implored them to continue to uphold the high moral standards imparted on them, saying that the class had a mixture of Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa and they are the “game changers” of today’s world. He further charged other students to imbibe hard work, commitment, dedication and prayers, which according to him, were the keys to resounding success.
The maiden edition of its Commencement Lecture was delivered by an ex-student of the School during the 2013 graduating set; Mr. Omololu Kalejaiye. The lecturer, who is a graduate of Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, had graduated with First Class honours degree in Economics. In his short lecture titled, “Know your Time Frame”, Mr. Kalejaiye implored the students not to be envious of those that seemed to be faster in achieving success. In her goodwill message, the Mother of the Day, Her Excellency, Dr. (Mrs.) Olufunso Amosun, commended FUNIS, saying it had contributed its quota in promoting education in Ogun State. She charged the students to be committed, determined and diligent, adding that they should project the sound, academic and moral excellences that they had been thought by being good ambassadors of the School. Dr. (Mrs.) Amosun, who is the wife of the Ogun State Governor, was represented at the event by the wife of the Ogun State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Olufunke Oladipo.
Highlights at the occasion included presentation of a plague of award to the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Enikuomehin; rewarding of outstanding students in various subjects with a variety of gifts donated by the school, parents, teachers and corporate bodies; cultural display by FUNIS students; presentation of gifts to teaching and non-teaching staff of the year; the induction of the junior members of the Red Cross Society and oath-taking by the graduating students into their alumni association; while Miss. Oyinkansola Akinlotan, emerged as the Best Overall Graduating Student.
Last Updated on September 26, 2017 by FUNAAB
