Blooming Green School Yaba Hosts Nigeria Spelling Bee, Lagos Edition
The school premise was filled with students from different secondary schools in Lagos. And all the students who represented their respective schools were neatly dressed, and their uniforms were appropriately ironed.
The registration started at around 9:00 am, but the event started around 10:30 am. All the contestants were seated inside the school’s main auditorium, preparing for the event to officially kick-start. However, the categories of students who were participating in the spelling bee competition, are two.
The school proprietor, Mrs Susan Babatunde-Yamah gave the contestants word of encouragement during her opening remarks, and also congratulated the organizer for taking the spelling bee as a duty to develop literacy in Nigeria.
According to the National Coordinator of Nigerian Spelling Bee Initiative, Mr, Abdulsalam Ibrahim told our correspondent that: ‘’ we have two categories. The junior category is for students between the age of 9-13 and the senior category is for students between the age of 14-16 ‘’
Around 10:45 am the junior category contestants gathered to take the first part of the competition.
‘’The competition is of two segments. We have the written test and oral segment. And we judge them from the oral, not the written. However, the purpose of the written test is to test their capability; we will give them three words, and any of them that scores 3/3 will proceed to the oral segment; but in case we don’t have any student with 3/3, we score them with 2/3; but it is always a tentative decision from us ‘’
Mr. Abdulsalam Ibrahim told our correspondent that the competition started in 2017 and this particular one is the 6th edition of the state qualifier. He also said that the national competition of the spelling bee had been hosted in five states and this year’s own would make it the 6th, and it will take place in Deeper Life High School, Port Harcourt.
However, he also said that one of the key reasons why the spelling bee competition is in existence today is to ensure that spellers do not go by the pronunciation of a word.
‘’ And if you go by the pronunciation of a word, you might miss the word. Spelling has a formula, just like mathematics. So, we encourage spellers to look at the part of speech, look at the origin of the word and meaning before spelling’’
The junior spellers took the written test at around 11:00 am, and only like 12 spellers proceeded to the next round of the competition, which was the oral segment. While the senior spellers took their written test immediately after the junior spellers. And only 7 spellers proceeded to the next round of the competition.
‘’ We are looking for just only three junior spellers and also from the host school, and one senior speller.’’ National Coordinator said
However, certifications of participation were given to students who failed to proceed to the next round both at the junior and senior levels. While the oral segment started around 1:00 pm. Hence, some could not qualify for the final stage.
The junior champion, Afunku Burhanudeen, from Al-Fallah Beneficent Foundation College, Idumu, Lagos, came first position in the oral segment, while other junior qualifiers were given medals to represent their respective schools in the final.
‘’ I feel excited and I feel like I have made my parent proud and teacher. But it was my teacher that brought me here, and I wish my parents know how I feel right now. My parents played a major role in my spelling skills, and it is mostly my dad. He taught me most of the things I know. ‘’ Burhanudeen said.
The only senior champion, Sheidu Abdulhafeez, from Abibatu Mogaji Millennium Secondary School, Agege, Lagos, would be representing Lagos at the national.
‘’ I feel very excited and as well surprised because I just knew there was a competition yesterday. I feel very thankful to my brother because it was my brother that told me that I should go for it. Well, it has been my brother that has been coaching me. But when I started, it seems impossible, but through consistency. I thank God. ‘’ Abdulhafeez said.
Mr. Abdulsalam narrated to our correspondent that these qualifiers will contest with other spellers across the country in the national final in Port Harcourt, which will hold from 26th of July- 29th of July, 2023. Meanwhile, the winners from the national will represent the country in Ethiopia in November.
Our correspondent also asked the national coordinator if they have partnered with the government, but Mr. Abdulsalam replied jokingly: ‘’We have tried; they have endorsed us. But they don’t give anything. And when you see our banner, you will see that it is endorsed by the federal ministry of education, but they don’t give anything ‘’
However, the school proprietor, Mrs. Susan Babatunde-Yamah, was excited that one of the pupils of Blooming Green School would be representing the school at the national final. She further told our correspondent that the school decided to host the event because the school has always been interested in literacy.
‘’Spelling is a huge arm of literacy in English Language and we are big on all of those in Blooming Green School. That is why we are hosting it and we are happy that one of our pupils made it to the last round and will be attending the national in Port-Harcourt ‘’
‘’ I think every school needs to take literacy seriously because here in Africa, our lingua-franca is English, and for students and pupils to have mastered that language and have great command, they must know how to spell, and how words in the English language are spelled correctly ‘’
‘Anything concerning education should not be joked with by any country or any government. And it is not very good that our government is not funding them financially, and this is an initiative by a group of learners or educators who have decided to take spelling to the next level. And they have involved families, schools, and corporate organizations in this event, and unfortunately, they haven’t seen the funding.’’ Mrs Susan Babatunde-Yamah reported.
She even spoke on the positive effect of social media in education. According to her: ‘’ I am an educator and everything positive that will aid high-quality education, I am for it. Social Media is very good for advert and exposure to some people. But for the children, you have to guide the exposure they should be exposed to.’’
She further said that at Blooming Green School, the management always mitigates the kind of websites the children visit. That the pupils and students are not exposed to everything.
‘’ Every educator or school needs to guide the children’’ she said.
