Eighty-five students of the 2022 class stepped out of the Total Education Development Academy (TEDA) Eke-Owerri in Obingwa, Abia State, on Sunday, August 14 , 2022, charged with counsel and wisdom nuggets from a rector, a vice chancellor and two other educationists.

Counsel for the Emeralds class of the TEDA School came from Prof Chimezie A. Omeonu, Vice Chancellor of Clifford University, Owerrinta and Prof Lawrence Chigbu, Rector of the Abia State College of Health Sciences and Management Technology, Aba.

They also heard from Shepherdess Helen Ihuoma Agharanya on “Building emotional competencies and resilience as adolescents” and received a charge to “sail on” from Dr Flora Chinwe Anyim.

Clifford University vice chancellor Omeonu in his Keynote Speech asked the graduands to work collaboratively with others in life’s journey and build a network for all seasons. He commended to them the counsel of Proverbs 6 against indolence and praised their dedication and hard work:

Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest.

How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep—So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler.

Omeonu said the youngsters would face many challenges and temptations but should remain focused on developing the mindset to acquire necessary skillsets for success in the today’s world.

Chigbu, chairman of the occasion, urged the students to build on the solid foundation of learning at TEDA School. He described TEDA as “the fastest growing secondary school east of the Niger and one of the best-equipped in infrastructure, materials and human resources to deliver on secondary education.”

Omeonu and Chigbu elicited laughter as they canvassed their institutions suitable for the graduands. The VC of Clifford University used the occasion to announce that beginning in October 2022, Clifford would add six more courses. They are Medical Laboratory Science, Public Health, Environmental Health Science, Law and Social Justice, Guidance and Counselling, Library and Information Science Management, Personnel Management and Computer Science Education.

TEDA School Founder, Dr Godson Dinneya, commended the outgoing students for their diligence and good results. He said the school’s faculty was exceptional and dedicated to the success of their students. The West African Examinations Council named TEDA School the best in Nigeria in 2020 based on its students' performance in its examinations.

The Emeralds of TEDA School are the third graduating class. TEDA commenced in 2013 with only six students and 23 staff members but now boasts 750 students and 117 staff.

TEDA School recently introduced more courses and workshops to add practicality to its curriculum. They include an Information and Communication Technology workshop to add to the six workshops it has for technical subjects. It now offers Phone and Computer Maintenance (PCM) classes “designed to empower the students in ICT-based entrepreneurship and self-reliance after secondary school.”

Five well-equipped workshops offer practical experience in automotive technology, woodwork, metalwork, electrical and electronics, and more.

TEDA also offers Early Science Education for its junior school students. It offers JSS1-3 students “the opportunity to discover their true potential early” by exposing them to Basic Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Economics and Further Mathematics.

The Total Education Development Academy (TEDA) emerged Best School in Junior Science in the International Olympiad Competition in 2019/2020. Its students placed first, third, fourth, fifth and seventh out of the best ten.

TEDA also won overall first and third position in junior sciences and Best Girl in Junior Sciences (Queen of the Junior Sciences).

The Abia State Ministry of Education named TEDA the best government-approved Junior Secondary School for 2020/2021 and the second position among Government-approved Senior Secondary Schools in the state.

Significantly, TEDA was the best overall school in the Senior School Certificate examination by WAEC in 2020 for producing the best aggregate result.

Update news