In a bid to contribute to the development of basic education and literacy among public secondary school students, an education rights group has organised a spelling competition for selected secondary schools in Osun State.
The competition had representatives from 13 schools across the state and was organised under the Teens Mentoring and Rural Education Development Initiative.
The programme was held at the main hall of Osogbo Grammar School on Saturday.
In her opening remark, the group director, Mrs Adeola Kelvin-Gbemikaiye noted that the competition was put together to support public secondary school students and encourage the beneficiaries to put in their best and be more open to learning new words beyond winning the prizes.
Kelvin-Gbemikaiye noted that the increasing social vices among teenagers with the trending lies of education being a scam and fast money-making syndrome which is making teenagers lose focus, informed the decision to organise the programme.
She said the programme will open endless possibilities that lie inside of the participants, noting that the transformation they would get through the programme will keep their back off the ground.
According to her, “Teemredi has always pay specific attention to teens mentoring, and most especially, rural education development, the decision for this mode of impact work came from a place of personal experience and awareness of ever-increasing social vices among teenagers with the trending lies of education being a scam and fast money making syndrome that is making our teenagers lose focus.
“Talking of personal experience, I know how lack of funds can be a major setback and discouragement to a brilliant and smart student, hence the reason for putting this programme together for academically sound students from indigent backgrounds and to reward academic excellence.
“We couldn’t have brought you from the comfort of your homes just because of the cash prize only, rather, we brought you here for much more, which is the transformation and a paradigm shift that opens you up to the endless possibilities that lie inside of you.
“With or without the money, permit me to tell you that you have won already, you have won your fears and limitations. With the assurance that the transformation that will take place in your life today will last you a lifetime, and this experience will keep your back off the ground and you will definitely not be held back as a result of your background. I congratulate and welcome you to endless possibilities.
“I won’t end this speech without telling you my secret, for it will bring out the gold in you and add meaning to your life. For you to stand out in life, you must stand with God and your dedication to your course must be unwavering. As you journey into the future you dream of, let God be your number one and your all. Trust me! And you won’t regret giving him the most important place in your life.”
After a tense competition, Mbanefo Emmanuel from Osogbo Grammar School emerged first and went home with a cash prize of N100,000, a 10th-edition dictionary, a reading lamp, notebooks and pens.
Also, Okegbemi Peter from Fakunle Comprehensive High School, Osogbo, came second with a cash prize of N75,000, notebooks and pens.
The third position was taken by a student of St. Margaret’s School, Ilesa, Adepoju Temitope.
She went home with a cash prize of N50,000, notebooks and pens.
All the spellers were given certificates of participation after the programme.
