‘We have entrenched culture of excellence at JSAY Prevarsity’

Mrs. Olajumoke Akere is the Director of JSAY Prevarsity, Oluyole, Ring-Road, Ibadan. In this interview with GABRIEL OSHOKHA, she highlights certain features that make JSAY Prevarsity centre of excellence in delivering first-class education among equals in the educational sector. Excerpts:

W HAT motivated you to establish an institution of learning that prepares students for advanced level studies?
We started the school precisely on 9th of July, 2007 based on the burden God placed on my heart for young people, specifically, secondary school leavers. It was expedient for me as I became convinced at a point that secondary school leavers need to be groomed and mature before they go into the university. Young people need an ideal environment like what we have in JSAY PREVARSITY for proper grooming in order to become better adults. I have learnt by experience that young adults need further nurturing while preparing for higher education before entering the university. Hence, this triggered my passion for young adults’ thorough training so that they would succeed in the university and beyond.
More so, to achieve a feasible impact in the society and for meaningful development of a society, education must be considered with uttermost priority, but in Nigeria despite all efforts to improve the educational sector, it is still not taking its rightful place in the scheme of things and the situation calls for unanimous input not only by the government but also private participation. This urgent need availed JSAY Prevarsity, Oluyole, Ibadan the privilege to come into the sector with the main aim of contributing positively to the educational sector.

What is the vision and mission statement of JSAY Prevarsity?
Our vision is to offer quality and world-class post-secondary education towards grooming young people to succeed and to have global relevance, while our mission is to serve the nation and the world at large by providing qualitative education to groom young people for a successful life.

Are there other programmes run by the institution apart from A’levels?
At JSAY Prevarsity, we offer Cambridge international O’level and A’level programmes; scholastic aptitude test SAT, PSAT; O ‘level basic course IGCSE, WASSCE; Test of English Language (TOEFL), IELTS 5; UTME Computer Based Test(CBT)training; university foundation programme GRE, GMAT, ACCA; leadership and entrepreneurship course; foreign admissions into UK, USA and Canadian universities, among others. The school has been offering these services for the past 10 years and still waxing stronger with lots of outstanding results and awards to show for the efforts.

Tell us what distinguishes JSAY from other A ‘level institutions around?
The coming into being of JSAY Prevarsity is a God-given mandate. Our students come from different secondary schools and from different parts of Nigeria and abroad. We have students from South-Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, UK, USA and other countries. This makes it possible for students to engage and interact with the best from every part of the world. In JSAY, we impact high standard of social, moral and spiritual values on our students through leadership seminars, mentorship and counseling which assist our students in their academic pursuit. JSAY is an all-encompassing institution. The atmosphere is conducive for learning while our highly competent members of staff are youth-friendly.
Celebration of JSAY Prevarsity’s decade of impacting Nigerian youths, through grooming for university education started on Friday, July 7 and rounded off on Sunday, July 9. Please expatiate on the graduated students of your school.
God has continued to confirm this mandate by testimonies. We have students of JSAY in reputable universities in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and several other tertiary institutions all over Nigeria. To the Lord’s glory, many of them are making positive impact and excelling in their chosen careers. We have received awards and testimonies from schools where our students are blazing the trail in terms of academic excellence. Some of our awards are ‘Outstanding award of excellence, the African Education Monitor (Nigeria); Award of excellence as outstanding post-secondary school (NANS); Award of excellence and outstanding performance (AEDECO South Africa); Best practice award (Young mind International, USA).
One of the latest awards is the Outstanding Cambridge Learners Award of Miss Ayoyemi Oladipo, who was the best in Nigeria in two A’ level subjects in the January 2016 result.

What about your students’ performance in final year exams?
Our students have been marked with distinction, and we have had awards because of their outstanding performance. I believe this consistent academic feat of our students is attributable to an entrenched culture of academic excellence in our system. We have over the years been recording 100% success in international exams.

How relevant is your curriculum to university curriculum for direct entry students?
A’level prepares secondary school students by helping them to develop an informed curiosity and a lasting passion for learning. It provides a solid foundation for their continuing educational journey.
The curriculum develops their knowledge, understanding and skills. A’level was part of Nigerian educational curriculum till 1989 before it was scrapped. It is the missing link in the Nigerian educational system. People who had undergone the A’level in the earlier days would testify to the fact that it was of utmost relevance to them in their academic pursuit. I want to suggest the re-introduction of A’levels to the system in Nigeria to foster an effective change in the educational institution.

How affordable is JSAY Prevarsity in terms of fees?
Very moderate, we also give discount and scholarship to deserving students who excel at our entrance examination.

Do you allow piecemeal payment of fees by students of your institution?
Yes, we do. We make the payment process easy for our students, so that students of different backgrounds can partake of the quality education JSAY offers.

Are there special features in place in your school?
We have several facilities in the school and some of them include a well-equipped laboratory, reading room, counseling centre, a serene environment for learning and excellent student-teacher relationship.

What is your advice to parents and young people?
I want to advise parents that they should see it as a duty to consciously manage the transition from 0’ level to higher level, and also to see it as crucial importance to help their children to make successful transition from high school to the university with a mature mind and focused mentality.
To the young ones, I want to advise them that being young is not just a time of life but a state of mind. Young adults need diligence and integrity to ensure maximum success in life. I am sure when they imbibe this advice they will be able to achieve their dreams in life.