By Ikechukwu Nmerengwa
ON Thursday at a ceremony in Ibadan, the 59th Annual Meeting of the Nigeria National Committee of the West African Examination Council, WAEC, let the world into a little secret about Total Educational Development Academy, TEDA – it is the winner of the Augustus Bandele Oyediran prize/trophy for producing the best overall results in WASSCE for school candidates in 2020.
In the National Distinction/Merit category, Miss Nwaozuzu Confidence Chinaza, one of the five TEDA students who made nine straight As in the 2020 WASSCE was awarded the third prize.
The journey to the Ibadan coronations began years ago with all the challenges of founding a school in Aba, then moving it to Eke-Owerri in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State, recounted Dr. Godson Dinneya, TEDA founder, who was elated at the performance of the students. He gave the students, teachers and management credit for what TEDA had accomplished in eight years.
“We have had good results in WASSCE and competitions like the National Olympiad Competition organised by the National Mathematical Centre, Abuja, but this was a pleasant surprise to us and I will tell you why,” he said after the award. “The year in question was the Covid-19 year. Schools were shut. We struggled with how to give our students the best preparations for the examination.
“The TEDA spirit kicked in. We teach our students to seek solutions to changing situations. COVID-19 was our chance to demonstrate to the students that we can tackle challenges. Our IT department developed the facilities for online delivery of our classes. The target was not to go below the100 per cent pass rate TEDA had with 55 per cent distinction in the 2019 examinations.
“You can then imagine our excitement that our best result is in the most challenging year for the world. Though our internal assessments of the students predicted a good outcome, we, however, limited our optimism because of the initial disruptions of COVID-19,” Dr. Dinneya said. “We are happy for the recognition for the work TEDA teachers, parents, students, and the administrators have done over the years.
WAEC had in a letter informed TEDA that, “the Augustus Bandele Oyediran Trophy will be presented to your school for producing the Overall Best Aggregate Results in the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2020 in Nigeria”.
Miss Nwaozuzu Confidence Chinaza, “going by WAEC’s criteria for its National Distinction/Merit Awards, emerged as the third best prize winner in the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2020 in Nigeria”. Miss Nwaozuzu had nine straight As in her examinations.
TEDA’s 2020 WASSCE result – out of the 79 students TEDA presented, five made nine straight As, five got eight As while 22 others made seven As. More analysis shows general performance of 71 per cent A grades; 24 per cent B grades; 3 per cent C grades; and, 2 per cent Pass grade. In the 2020 Basic Education Certificate Examination, BECE, TEDA also, recorded 100 per cent pass with no re-sit in any subjects.
In the same 2020, TEDA was the only flag bearer/representative of Abia State at the National Olympiad Competition held at the National Mathematical Centre, Abuja. TEDA won four prizes:
First position as the Best School in the Junior Science category
Overall, first position in the Junior Sciences category
Overall, third position in the Junior Science category; and,
Best Girl in Female category of the Junior Science.
Abia State Governor Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu handsomely rewarded TEDA students who participated in the competitions and awarded scholarships to the five students who made nine straight As in the 2020 WASSCE to any University of their choice in Nigeria.
In TEDA’s five attempts at the WASSCE, no TEDA candidate has recorded less than five credits. In 2016 TEDA scored 13 per cent A grades; 35 per cent B grades; 37 per cent C grades and 15 per cent Pass grades. In 2017 the performance improved to 49 per cent A grades; 48 per cent B grades and 3 per cent C grades. By 2018, the performance eased to 41 per cent A grades; 42 per cent B grades; 16 per cent C grades; and 1 per cent failure.
“The awards come with their own challenges to do more. The Class of 2020 has raised the threshold at TEDA for the teachers for the students, for all of us,” Dr. Dinneya said.
