Stakeholders advocate establishment of more sixth-form colleges

Stakeholders in education have called for the creation of more sixth-form colleges in Nigeria, noting that A-level programmes would create more opportunities for admission seekers.

This was part of the deliberations at a press conference organised by Bridge House College, Ikoyi, Lagos, recently.

According to Mr Dotun Suleiman, a member of the Board of Corona Schools, who spoke in a video recording presented at the briefing, pupils are increasingly leaving secondary school earlier than they used to.

He said, “We graduate our students too early for university, and they need that two-year preparation, and there are not many dedicated schools that do that. Bridge House is one of the leaders in that space preparing students… and to ready them for university, the ideal age of which is 18.”

Also speaking through the same medium, the Executive Director of the school, Mrs Foluke Abdul-Razaq, said the school was established to address the growing need.

She said, “There was a gap, and there were yearnings and aspirations from parents wanting an independent sixth form college locally here in Nigeria… we decided to set up Bridge House College.”

Meanwhile, four students from the college have emerged best at the Cambridge International Examination (CIE).

The pupils, Olumuyiwa Yusuf, Damilola Ogunlana, Namibio Dambo and Olamide Abegunde emerged best in Economics, Business Studies and Physics respectively, out of a pool of over 100,000 candidates from different parts of the world.

Speaking with journalists, one of them, Olumuyiwa Yusuf, said his parents encouraged him to go for A-level because they believe it would strengthen his foundation.

“My dad also had the experience of A-level so he was interested in me going for it and he believed it will be a good foundation for me before university,” he said.

According to the Second Vice Principal of the college, Mr Richard Balogun, who also spoke at the briefing, the college, now 13-years old, has produced over 2,500 students who are in different parts of the world, particularly the UK where the school has partnership with over 28 universities.