…Says Halifield no longer a school but community connected by shared belief education
…Our uniqueness is the belief in the power of skills, creativity–Founder
The Founder/Director of Halifield Schools, Mrs. Halima Oke, says Halifield is not just a school but a community connected by a shared belief in the power of education and the limitless possibilities in every child.
She said her desire to establish the school stemmed from the realisation that not every child is academically inclined, but every one of them is gifted in one way or the other.
The Founder said that she also realised that some children may not shine brightest in the classroom but may possess extraordinary creativity, talent, confidence, ingenuity or practical skills that can take them to greater heights.
She said these today at the 30th anniversary and thanksgiving of Halifield Schools at Muson Centre in Lagos .
She informed that 30 years ago it was just a dream, a little idea and a tiny mustard seed but that today the seed has grown, blossomed and continues to bear beautiful fruits, adding the journey to becoming to 30,the anniversary has been an interesting one.
According to her the school which started with a humble beginning in September 1996 with just few children has bloosmed to become one of the leading schools in Nigeria.
“Starting a school was an exciting adventure into a completely uncharted territory. We began modestly with just ten children across pre-school to primary 4.
“Our numbers were so small that one class had just one pupil, while the others were distributed among three classes. We had a Nursery 2 class, eagerly waiting to feed the primary school.
It was small. It was simple. But the dream was big,” she said.
She noted that despite the small number and the financial challenges, the school encountered at the teething stage, she was not discouraged .
“Of course, it was not all smooth sailing. We had our financial challenges, and it took several years before the school began to break even. All this time, I did not receive a salary. My reward was something else—the indescribable joy of watching an idea I deeply believed in come alive,” she said.
On what makes, Halifield Schools unique, the Founder said, “One of the things that made Halifield different from the beginning was our belief in the power of skills and creativity.”
“We introduced what we called skills acquisition into the school programme,” she added.
She disclosed that in 2003, a major milestone was recorded as the school moved to its permanent site on Oki Lane.
She stated that while at the permanent site parents, who children were already in Halifield primary school started asking questions such as, “What happens after primary school? Where will our children go?”
She pointed out that the persistence of their questions encouraged her not only to listen but to also begin to think on how to establish a secondary school.
She said that this dream finally materialised in 2012, when Halifield College was born.
The birth of the college, according to the Founder, who also is the Director of Schools, gave the children already in Halifield primary school an opportunity to continue their journey with Halifield.
She noted that another exciting milestone was made in 2018 with the unveiling of the
Halifield School, Lekki, adding with the coming of this school, it was clear that the
little mustard seed was no longer little.
On the total number of schools under the name Halifield Schools and the staff strength, Oke said,
Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Banji Baruwa thanked the Founder of the school for the achievements so far made, adding that he is one of the major beneficiaries of the school.
He told the gathering that all his children attended the school and that the school has helped him to produce two lawyers..
He advised the school to relate with students that graduated from the school who God has elevated to give back to the school
Delivering his address with the title, “Excellence, Legacy and Inspiring Future”, the Keynote Speaker Prof. Abiodun Adebayo, thanked God for given the Founder the idea to establish Halifield Schools and for imparting knowledge in students.
The Schools,he said have grown bigger and still expanding in size and strength.
“We are here to celebrate little by little success,day by day success,month by month success and year by year success which Halifield Schools have achieved,” he said.
Speaking further he said, “True excellence is not only what they know but what they become after.. Excellence begins with a vision. Vision is not about putting up classrooms or churning out students but establlishing where students learn and discover themselves. Vision is the ability to transform ideas, dreams into reality.”
He called on teachers at Halifield Schools to continue to inspire students to enable them transform their vision to reality.
He urged the school to purse excellence, character, integrity and be disciplined.
“We must encouraged honesty, innovation and enhance partnerships with parents and alumni,” he advised.
On her part, the Principal of Schools, and an Educationist, Mrs. Frances Osuchukwu told guests at the event that Halifield School started small at Salami Street, Mende, Maryland, Lagos and that despite the challenges it encountered then , it was not distracted.
She pointed out that today students from the school have excelled in NECO, WAEC and JAMB examinations and that with these achievements , Halifield is now among the top six institutions in Lagos.
Halifield School, she said create an opportunity for students to discover themselves in education and skills.
On Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR), Osuchukwu said that the school constructed a borehole for Mende Community,as way of given back to the community where the school was first established
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