Ndow’s Comprehensive Senior Secondary School recently held its graduation ceremony of 2015 batch.
Speaking at the ceremony, the principal of the school, Johnson O. Ogunjobi, said the attainment of academic level is a foundation to a higher academic pursuit, adding that the day marked the end of the graduating students’ three years of Senior Secondary School Education.
“I want to let you know that graduation is a bridge that leads to the outside world, where there are deception, corruption, pollution, defeat, robbery, lawlessness, oppression, theft, opposition, criticism, abuse, occultism, harassment, immorality, crime, violence, disappointment, discouragement and delusion,” he said.
He added: “You are leaving the four walls of Ndow’s Comprehensive Senior Secondary School to face the reality outside the school.
“As you are going, be good ambassadors of Ndow’s Comprehensive Secondary School, anywhere you go.
“Life is in phases and you are about to enter a new one. I urge you to be positive and never discard your dream for fear of failing. If you try, you will succeed at it. Be anticipating for the best, while equipping for the worst.”
Mr Ogunjobi also said champions are crowned for the challenges they win and not the ones they elude.
“Set your goals for the next four years at least and run with your vision. Stand for the truth at all times. Avoid repeating your mistakes of the past. Develop to be honest and committed nation builder,” the principal advised the students.
In his remarks, the guest speaker of the occasion, Kelechi Enweren, spoke on education for self-empowerment and national development.
He said education presents a fantastic opportunity to not only knowledge, skill and self-confidence necessary for full participation in the development of a nation, confident and complete individual, but also to develop an internal compass to guide through the journey of self-empowerment and success in life.
He said the values and knowledge received in the course of obtaining education are not only relevant to the lives and aspiration of young people like the graduands who were leaving school to embrace the wider society, but also critical in the overall development of The Gambia as one indivisible and progressive society.
“Knowledge, they say, is power and with exposure to education, one ultimately acquires the power to access hitherto opportunities that were clearly outside one’s reach,” Mr Enweren said. “This is the whole essence of self-empowerment.”
He also said national development is strongly tied to an empowered and educated people, which fast track the advancement of any society, especially where the youth constitute the greater percentage of the populace, “as we have in sub-Saharan Africa”.
Sarah Odico, the outgoing head girl, gave the vote of thanks.
