This year’s ERC free summer coaching is closed with symposium, poetry and drama

By Fidel Davynovich

Thursday 11 September, 2014 marked the closing day of the 10th edition of the free summer coaching of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC). The coaching which is targeted at students in SS I, SS II and SS III classes has been on since 2005 and it is organized in Ajegunle, one of the poorest working mass ghetto communities in Lagos State. About 400 secondary school students participated in the coaching this year.

The coaching is an annual exercise organized in the community and it runs for six weeks. Attendance of students is often from different schools both public and private likewise. The coaching could not have been successful without our volunteer teachers taking different subjects. The closing ceremony of this year as usual included a symposium wherein the ERC argue for the possibility of the provision of free and quality public education at all levels.

Speakers and guests like the Education Secretary of Ajeromi Ifelodun (AJIF) Local Government, Mr. Adewale Adeogun, the Headmistresses of Anglican Primary School, I and II, Mrs. Simeon D. C and Mrs. Ajayi A. O were invited. Also, the National Coordinator of Education Rights Campaign, Hassan Taiwo Soweto, the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) AJIF Dagga Tolar, the Lagos State Coordinator of Actionaid activista Morakinyo Abiodun and all donors to the closing ceremony were all invited to grace the occasion. The topic for this year’s closing ceremony was “THE ROLE OF PUBLIC EDUCATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY.”

At the end of the speeches there was poetry performance presented by a literary group named AJ House of poetry titled: EDUCATION: THE ONLY LEGACY I HAVE. Also, there were poetry recitation and drama performed by students.