Notre Dame Girls Secondary School
Urua Edet Obo, Nigeria — Notre Dame Girls Secondary School (NDGSS) was founded in 1995 by the Catholic Bishop of Ikot Ekpene Diocese, Bishop Camillus Etokudoh, in collaboration with the School Sisters of Notre Dame. The school is located in a local setting called Urua Edet Obo in Essien Udim Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
Currently, there are three School Sisters of Notre Dame living and ministering there, collaborating with a host of other staff to share the good news of Christ in this part of the world. The school has close to 300 students and about 60 staff giving their best to the ministry.
The school aims at giving a sound, balanced and disciplined education that is student-centered. The curriculum is designed to be developmentally appropriate for students in their different classes. There are well-trained formatters who give student-centered education and are cognizant of boundaries that follow the guidelines of child protection policies. The teachers are very inclusive; they have strong values and high moral standards; they put students first and have high regard for them. They vary their ways of presentation of their lessons and make their classes stimulating and interesting.
The school has alot of activities that help to stimulate the students’ minds and motivate them to learn. Some of these activities include the following: opportunities for seminars within and outside the school, workshops, inter-class and external competitions, excursions etc. Academic and moral standards are optimal and there is no room for mediocrity. Academic performance in external examinations is excellent which reflects the dedication and commitment of the staff. The staff build real confidence in the students and help them to be very assertive, to trust in their innate abilities, to lead the girls to see the boys as their equivalents instead of as threats. Students are encouraged to view life and the world positively which helps to build their esteem; they also are helped to develop their entrepreneurial and creative skills
NDGSS is like a family that takes time to love, affirm, challenge, teach, pray, encourage and listen to one another, to know the students on a personal level, and guide them through life. It is usually a thing of joy to see the student who never thought she could make it, becoming very confident in herself and having a sense of belief that through constant hard work she can become successful and blossom.
This is the creed of the NDGSS staff:
- We believe every child is unique and has the ability to learn and so we pay particular attention to those who struggle academically.
- We treat every child with dignity and respect and encourage them to treat others that way too.
- We all share the responsibility of forming the students. No matter what the position is – a teacher, a security man, a cleaner, a cook – all make an effort to give their best selves, knowing that students learn constantly and from many sources.
- We use diverse methods and instructional strategies to teach the students and ensure every child is carried along.
- We provide a safe and welcoming environment to enhance effective learning.
- We provide counseling to all the students to enable them to face life’s challenges with a positive mindset.
- We approach the process of education with the knowledge that a child is not only learning but also teaching us about how we ourselves are not perfect, and so we too get to be transformed just as they do. It’s a mutual enrichment that we receive from one another.
Lastly, like our foundress, Blessed Mary Theresa of Jesus, the vision of the co-founders was the renewal of the society. She knew this was only possible if the girl child was empowered and so it is our expectation that given all the opportunities the students have, the graduates from the school will contribute to a better world, the reduction of poverty, promote justice, peace and integrity of all creation.