At New Hall International School, the theme for Nigeria’s 59th Independence Anniversary is patriotism. Patriotism has been popularly explained has pride in and love for one’s nation. With the understanding that our nation needs truly patriotic citizens to excel in all areas of development, we titled our independence celebration – A Call for Patriotism.
The title is in tandem with our school’s theme for the session- CULTURE. Apart from appreciating various Nigerian cultures, our children are made to think on the need to love and respect people from different cultural backgrounds. They learn that loving and respecting people from different cultures, help them become patriotic citizens.
And at the core of patriotism is national unity. National unity is the main philosophy of education in Nigeria. Education in Nigeria is primarily aimed at bringing people from diverse Nigerian cultures to work together in unity and fairness towards national development.
To demonstrate patriotism and promote a sense of national unity, our children were asked to dress in traditional costumes from other Nigerian cultures than theirs. This gives the children an opportunity to learn about other cultures in Nigeria, especially those of the minority.
The ‘cultural exchange’ involved not just the pupils but the teachers and parents, who had to reach out to people from other ethnic groups for information about their culture and cultural attires.
In the midst of the learning and fun, children become aware of other cultures and see that people can be different, and yet live together in unity.
As usual there are presentations about the history and opportunities and challenges of Nigeria by the pupils. The children enjoy learning and singing songs in other Nigerian languages. There are also lessons about how to be responsible Nigerian citizens and how the goal of education is to make Nigeria and the world a better place.
Happy 59th Independence Day Nigeria!
