Guide for Discerning Parents in Africa Searching for Good Day Schools for their Children in Today’s Environment
Choosing a good school for the child in today’s social, security, technological, and global environment is a big challenge for parents. It is against this background that Excel Africa Newspaper is beaming its spotlight on factors that set model schools apart as a guide for parents in search of good schools starting with Redeemer Teap International School Abuja. (RTIS). Established in 2004, RTIS offers world-class class pre-primary, primary and secondary education at affordable fees. Twenty (20) critical factors propelled RTIS to the status of preferred day school of choice in Abuja.
1.STAFFING
Qualified, committed high-performance teaching and non-teaching staff rank as one of the core assets of RTIS. The staff strength of 139 as at 2023/24 session includes 89 (64%) degree-level, registered, licensed, and professional
teaching staff. With a Teacher-Student Ratio of 1:9, RTIS Teacher-Student Ratio is better than the globally accepted best practice of 1:10. The non-teaching staff section, including the Finance and Administration Unit, is headed by two degree-level professionals who are also chartered accountants. The teaching and non-teaching staff work together as a high-performance team to deliver impactful administration of academic, co-curricular, financial, security, and other activities of the school.
2. LEADERSHIP:
A Board of Governors with membership profiles of experienced professionals and educationists provides visionary and strategic leadership that prioritizes education as social service as against education a a business venture.
3. MANAGEMENT
The School Management Team is made up of experienced educationists and professionals with graduate and post- graduate level qualification and TRCN certification. The central focus of the Board, Managemen, and Staff is the relentless drive towards actualizing the vision of delivering world-class holistic academic, physical, and moral education to learners at affordable fees.
4.CENTRAL LOCATION
RTIS is centrally located at 45 Damaturu Crescent, off Ahmadu Bello Way, Garki 11, Abuja. (Besides Garki Ultra-Modern International Market) making it easily accessible to parents from all sections of Abuja. The crèche, nursery, primar, and secondary sections are operated in this one location, which adds to the logistical convenience and more prudent management of time and financial resources for school runs by parents.
5.AFFORDABLE FEES
The school is operated as a social responsibility initiative and not as a profit making enterprise. Hence, the policy of providing world-classs education at low, affordable school fees to provide opportunity to children from all socio-economic classes, especially those who would otherwise not have access to high-quality private school education. The fees of RTIS have been adjudged the lowest in Nigeria when compared with other schools with equivalent standards of education. The low, affordable school fees are complimented by discounts to parents with multiple wards as
well as scholarships, grants to less privileged, and specially gifted learners subject to terms and conditions.
6. SAFETY AND SECURITY AS NUMBER ONE PRIORITY
RTIS invests a huge amount of financial resources to constantly upgrade its safe school protection, prevention, and precautionary processes and protocols to reflect the policy of safety and security of school community and environment being the number 1 priority. Some of the measures include: 24/7 comprehensive
CCTV surveillance coverage; strong perimeter fence; security barricades; fire prevention and extinguisher systems; functional Safe School Committee for prompt real time interventions and liaison with relevant agencies; 24/7 presence of public and private security operatives in the premises; regular Safe School Consultative Fora of parents and school community with security agencies for up-to-date safe school information; etc.
7.TOP-CLASS INFRASTRUCTURE
The school is equipped with top class, specifically designed infrastructure that is tailor-made for educational purposes
including:well lit and ventilated classrooms, administrative offices,
assembly halls, exam halls, sports arena, car park perimeter fence ,etc.
8 TEACHING AND LEARNING FACILITIES
The school has high-quality facilities for enhanced teaching and learning outcomes, including: sufficient chairs and desks; syllabuses; dairies of work; schemes of work;
teaching boards; ICT Centre and facilities for computer education; laboratories/workshops for science, technology, arts, music, home economics; playgrounds;
sporting facilities for physical and health education; borehole back-up systems for non-interrupted water supply; generator back-up systems for non-interrupted power supply; well- equipped libraries for teachers and learners; etc
9.CURRICULUM
RTIS operates the Nigerian School Curriculum enriched with international perspectives at the appropriate levels towards equipping learners with knowledge, skills, and the right orientation for a successful future in a globalized job market.
10.CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
RTIS pays serious attention to the participation of learners in co-curricular activities like sports, clubs and societies, musical and cultural events and competitions, speeches, seminars, symposiums, career and valedictory days; etc. Co- curricular activities constitute part of important components of the school calendar for all-round development of learners.
11. EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
In partnership with reputable education technology vendors, RTIS deploys robust educational technology platforms, constantly upgraded, to make the administration, storage and retrieval of admission, teaching, examination and financial records and processes easy, faster and seamless.
12.SERENE ENVIRONMENT
The serene and conducive environment of the school facilitates highly effective and productive teaching and learning experiences and outcomes.
13. SCHOOL CLINIC
The RTIS School Clinic is a well-equipped emergency care unit of first instance for learners and staff managed by qualified onsite nurses.
14. SPACIOUS PARKING SPACE
The school’s spacious and well-organized parking space makes for easy and quick drop off and pick up of wards during morning and afternoon school runs by parents.
15. UP-TO-DATE RELEVANT STATUTORY APPROVALS.
RTIS has all relevant and requisite statutory approvals, licenses and permits for school operations which are dutifully updated as and when due with relevant government licensing and regulatory agencies including: land ownership title documents; business registration documents;
approved building plans;
relevant approvals from educational regulatory agencies and public exam boards.
16. TOTAL REGULATORY COMPLIANCE:
In addition to being up-to-date with required licenses and permits, the school works with all regulatory agencies and
exam boards for regular independent audit of school environment and activities to ensure that operations are sustained at the highest level of ethics, integrity, and best practices.
17. CODES OF CONDUCT
All members of the school community, including staff and learners, are encouraged and motivated to strictly adhere to the codes of conduct, rules, and regulations that are rigorously enforced without discrimination, fear, or favour. The rules are prominently displayed around the school.
18. PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS:
RTIS maintains a good working partnership relationship with
parents. The school listens to parents and seriously factors their contributions into policy and decision-making processes towards smooth administration of the school.
19. PERFORMANCE IN EXAMINATIONS
RTIS students have records of excellent performance in external exit examinations like Basic Education Certificate and Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations based on hard work and ethics-compliant principles.
20. AWARDS
The many awards won by the school in various areas of academic and sporting activities confirm that the school is indeed making progress towards fulfilling its mission of providing world-class education to learners.
Courtesy: EXCEL AFRICA NEWSPAPER
Note.
To learn more about the RTIS, Abuja, please visit www.rtis-edu.ng. You may also visit the school at No 45 Damaturu Crescent, off kabo Street, off Ahmadu Bello Way, Garki 11, Abuja, to see things for yourself.
