* Children are tickets to paradise, Hon Iyepe tells parents
On Saturday, July 20, 2024, Habile Nursery and Primary School marked its 10th anniversary with a colourful Dinner and Awards Night that attracted a rainbow of attendees, including present and past pupils, parents, pioneer staff, education stakeholders and other dignitaries.
The event held at the Coker-Aguda LCDA Hall, Surulere, Lagos radiated all shades of glamour as pupils, teachers and graduands appeared in similarly differentiated attires. While the graduands adorned a yellow and blue fabric, the staff shone in their plum and pink dressing; everyone uniting in the joy and merriment of the occasion.
It was also a night of awards as the school rewarded parents and staff, both teaching and non-teaching for their commitment and achievement of educational excellence with mouthwatering gifts.
Alumni, pioneer parents and staff (present and former) were not left out in the celebration, as they also came in their best.
Prominent Nigerians including the Olowu of Owu, Oba Prof. Saka Matemilola, ably represented by Dr Kazim Bakinson (Maiyegun); Alhaji AbdulWaasi Banjo, CEO Nuru-N-Najat Service Ltd and the immediate former Chairman of the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Hon. Dr. AbdulHakeem AbdulLateef, among others set aside other engagements to rejoice with the school on the attainment of another milestone.
Children are tickets to paradise: Hon Iyepe tells parents
In his remark, Dr. AbdulLateef urged Habile School to prioritise academic and spiritual excellence.
“As it’s giving quality education, it should also introduce to the children the values Almighty Allah has enshrined in the Qur’an and in the conduct of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), so that going forward, the identity of the children will be the right values; honesty, trustworthiness, humility, selflessness, sacrifice and so on.”
Hon. Iyepe also stressed that parents should train their children as they are tickets to paradise.
“A great future requires hard work. Allah has given us some things for free. But for you to receive the 99 blessings embedded in Ar-Raheem, you have to pass the trial of Ar-Rahman. Passing the trial of Ar-Rahman is making use of what Allah has bestowed on you in the way He has prescribed.
“When Allah gives you children, you have to train the children as your tickets to paradise. Allah has instructed that you train your children.”
The other highlights of the event included individual and group presentations, choreography, where the pupils demonstrated their brilliance and entertained their parents and family members with educative pieces.
There was also an exchange of gifts among the pupils to further build love and trust in the school environment.
Habile launched a magazine named, “Brighter Future”, chronicling the feats, activities and achievements of the past ten years.
Journey took patience, resilience: Proprietress
Speaking with Muslim News, the Proprietress of Habile School, Alhaja Kafilah Misbahudeen-Matemilola appreciated Allah for sparing their lives to witness the memorable day, saying the journey took a lot of patience, effort, resilience and long-term investment.
She said their mission is to help the younger ones build a solid foundation.
“We will continue to shape the future of young ones to become relevant and stand out among their peers, and be employable citizens who can contribute meaningfully to national development,” the proprietress said.
Alhaja Misbahudeen-Matemilola charged the government to put in place necessary structures that will enhance grassroots empowerment after the education of children.
“The reality of today, unfortunately, is that most graduates are not employable. Educational institutions should work on maintaining standards to produce graduates that are employable, and can contribute to the development of Nigeria. The government needs to improve on the curriculum for this to happen.”
Habile has clear vision on academic excellence: PTA Chairman
The Chairman of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), Dr. Muhideen Adenola, praised Habile School for the journey so far, saying he has remained with the school from inception due to its clear vision and commitment to academic excellence.
“My journey with Habile is 10 years now. My son started crèche in this same school, and today he is graduating. I have remained with the school because of its clear vision and commitment to academic excellence as well as their Islamic teachings. My children who are attending the school are doing well,” the PTA chair said.
Dr. Adenola, a paediatrician, said he accepted the role of PTA chairman as a way of giving back to the school and joining hands with the management to make it a better place for all.
“There’s still room for improvement. The school started just 10 years ago. So, there’s still a lot to be done. Part of it is to establish a College, which we are working towards. This will also serve as a fund drive for the school itself.”
Habile’s combination of academic, religious teaching is excellent: Founding member
Another parent and founding member of the school, Alhaja Toyyibah Okunnu said Habile is exceptional for its combination of academic excellence and religious teachings.
“I have personally seen the school grow from what it used to be to what it has become. So, I applaud them for doing a great job.
“When you see Habile children outside, they stand out. They are collected and religious. As parents, we just have minimal inputs to make because the school trains the children wholistically.”
I love the quality and the kind of education they offer: Parent
For Hajia Lateefah Faleye, when she was hunting for a school for her child, none in the vicinity met her standards than Habile.
She told Muslim News she had no regrets bringing her three children to the school.
“When I was hunting for a school, I checked around for Muslim schools, but I couldn’t find any that satisfied my standards until I got to Habile. I love the environment. I love the size of the school. I love the quality and the kind of education they offer. It’s a Montessori school, and I enjoy it.
“I have three children here. I wish the School greater exploits. Long live Habile,” she said.
Our next project is Habile College: Matemilola
Chairman, Board of Trustee, Alhaji AbdulAfeez Matemilola couldn’t hide his joy as he was full of praises to what the School had achieved in 10 years.
He prayed that they live to achieve more milestones, including the golden jubilee.
“After a decade, alhamdulilah, we’ve been able to achieve quite a lot. We’ve had challenges, but alhamdulilah we were able to surmount them.
“It gives me joy that we are touching the lives of our young ones in a number of ways. Many families here have as many as five kids. It’s a feeling of joy for me. I pray Allah enables us mark 20th, 40th, and the Golden Jubilee.”
The Board Chairman disclosed that their next important goal is to secure a structure for Habile College.
“The next project before us is to, in shaa Allah, get a site of ours, where we start our College which we’ll call Habile College. We’ve registered the name, just that we don’t have the structure yet.”
Invest in children’s education – Alhaji Banjo
Chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Banjo, advised parents to invest in the education of their children, noting that it is the best legacy that guarantees a bright future for them.
According to him, “Education is the best legacy for children. If you invest in the education of your children, it means you want them to be among the successful. If you do not invest in it, you are killing the future of your children.”
The Head of School, Hajia Taofeeqah Abdussalam-Abubakar, on behalf of the Management team, extolled the contributions and cooperation of parents, pupils and other dignitaries towards the success of the week-long 10th anniversary activities which started with special a Juma’ah service and wrapped up with the dinner night.
