By Samuel Ogenyi
The once prestigious St. Theresa Girls Secondary School, Edem Ekpat in Etinan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State is in ruins, the old girls of the School have lamented.
St Theresa as it is popularly called, was a Catholic Mission School handed over to the State government about 40 years ago which now is in a decrepit state.
The President of the Old Girls, Mrs Christiana Egwunye, who reacted to the situation in a statement on in Uyo lamented that the number of boarding students has drastically reduced because of the deteriorating nature of facilities in the School.
Egwunye noted that the unprecedented abandonment and decay of the school did not only destroy the applauded boarding structure which was instrumental to molding character in the young girls but has also stifled academic excellence.
The president however appealed to Akwa Ibom State Government to assist in the refurbishment of the deplorable infrastructure in the school.
Egwunye, who was in the 1980 set, recalled that it was prestigious to be a student of the school and that parents were proud and excited to enrol their children in the school due to its recognition as a centre for both sterling character formation and academic excellence.
According to Egwunye, “we wish to appeal our amiable and gender friendly governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel to assist St Theresa’s Girls Secondary School and give it a facelift so that our girls can have a conducive learning environment.
“Our girl children deserve to have not just a safe haven to nurture their talents but also their social skills as espoused in institutions such as St Theresa’s Secondary School which is specifically designed for the character formation of the girl child.
“The current state of the school’s decay is not only heart wrenching but should also be an indictment on our collective consciences.
’The reality of this infrastructure crisis informed the Alumni of St Theresa Secondary School to seek the State Government’s urgent intervention.
“This plea has become necessary in view of the School‘s strategic reckoning as the only all-girls secondary school in Etinan Local Government Area.”
She disclosed that the Alumni of St Theresa (SATESCO) in recent months in the attempt to make the school habitable for the few students to take their Junior School Certificate Examination undertook to clear the overgrown weeds and grass which had overtaken the entire school premises.
Egwunye said that the association also undertook repair of some parts of a hostel to make it a bit habitable for the few boarders who were taking their examinations.
It should be recalled that St Theresa’s Secondary School metamorphosed from a boarding convent primary School to its present status in 1963.
It was founded and managed by the Holy Child Nuns of the Catholic Mission as a model school for molding girls with strict discipline and formal education to give them a platform to compete and contribute meaningfully towards the socio-economic activities of the society.
