Old students of College Demonstration Primary School, Commissioners’ Quarters, Awka have intervened in the infrastructure needs of their alma mater.
The old students, who left the school in 1989, had their first reunion get-together on Sunday and also honoured five of their former teachers.
They also observed a moment of silence for their teachers who had departed.
The project they undertook in the school included the tiling and repainting of the entire classroom blocks, building of six toilets and renovation of the four existing ones.
The former pupils also installed modern white boards in the classrooms and erected a signpost at the entrance of the school.
NAN reports that the school belongs to Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Nsugbe.
Hon. Uche Okafor, Speaker, Anambra House of Assembly, said the alumni class of ’89 had demonstrated that the tone of what they later became was set by the primary education they received.
Okafor, who was the special guest at the occasion, said the legislature would work with the state Ministry of Basic Education to strengthen primary education system in the state.
Also speaking, Mr Ikem Uzoezie, one of the pioneer pupils of the school, applauded the initiative of their juniors, decades after they left, adding that it had thrown a challenge on how they too could give back to their alma mater.
Uzoezie, a former member of Anambra House of Assembly, descried the falling standards of public primary education and called on governments to address the rot in the system.
He further observed that the number of primary schools established by government was not commensurate with the population growth, saying that this had led to the proliferation of private schools, most of which, he said, were substandard.
Mr Gabinus Ukah, the Principal, Demonstration Secondary School, observed that alumni associations were more pronounced in tertiary institutions and secondary schools than in primary schools.
He gave glory God for His blessings on the old pupils and urged them to see how they could extend their assistance to the secondary arm which, he said, was also in need of such intervention.
In her welcome address, Mrs Philo Enemuo, Head teacher of the school, said the intervention would enhance teaching and learning as well as the general environment of the school.
Enemuo said that the additional toilets would ease the pressure on the existing ones and enhance better sanitary condition among pupils and teachers.
Enemuo said their action would also be a psychological boost for the pupils of the school who would see them as role models.
The coordinator of the old pupils, Mr Amobi Ogum, said that some of them were reconnected through the internet in 2017 and decided to reach out to others.
Ogum, who put the total value of the projects at about N5.7 million, said that the idea was conceived in November 2018, while mobilisation of funds for the projects started in March this year.
“It is good to be back here; 30 years is quite significant; we were 35 in class but as I speak, we have come a long way. Some of us came in from Germany, USA and London, just for this event.
“We mobilised about N5.7 million and you can see that the face of the school has changed greatly. We want to also tell these children to be focussed because they are already on the right path.
“Our teachers were wonderful and that is why we decided to honour those around for the roles they played in our lives,” he said.
Mrs Ify Osegbo, Provost, Nwafor Orizu College of Education, commended the old pupils for having the type of good spirit that Nigeria needed at the moment.
Osegbo said that the teachers who were honoured by their former pupils should be proud of themselves as they didn’t have to die before they could get their reward.
NAN reports that the brief unveiling ceremony started with the traditional morning assembly with both old and current pupils of the school which was conducted by one of the old teachers.
