BY DAYO ADESULU
A physiotherapist expert, Mr Jide Alaje has urged parents who are searching for good schools for their children to look out for schools with all-rounded education in sports and learning, adding that sports develop students’ brains faster.
He said: ”If you bring two schools together and examine the academic performance of the students, you will discover that students from the school that engages in sporting activities do better academically.”
Alaje who spoke to journalists during Wellspring College 14 Annual Inter-House Sports held at Agege Stadium, Lagos said sports are important for brain development.
According to him, when students participate in sports, they exercise their body, thereby encourage blood circulation even to the brain. ”Children who participate in sports do more better academically than those who do not,” he asserted.
Alaje who has a child in Wellspring College urged parents to lookout for school where their children could get all-round development on the mind and the body.
”A sound mind is a sound body. ”Anybody that wants to establish a secondary school should please consider space. In the 80s, space for sports and farming was key for establishing a school.
Speaking in the same vein, Mrs Oluwayesi Oloriade, the principal of Wellsprings College said the school believes in developing a total child.
”In doing that, we look at the cognitive, affective and the psychomotor domain,” she said.
”The sporting activities come under the psychomotor domain. it helps them to be brilliant and active. If they are active, they would be able to participate very well and also respond to academic activities.
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Oloriade who noted that sports is compulsory for every student in Wellspring said: ”For those that are not very active, there is a game for them, those who are moderately active, we have a game for them and for those who are very active, we have other game for them. A student must be interested in one or more sporting activities.
For Yinka Adebayo, the Executive Director of Media Reach who was a special guest of honour said:” I am particularly impressed by the turnout of the parents.
He said: ”One of the valuables you can give to your children is time. In our world where we have the pressure of works, attending such sporting activity takes away the stress. ”One of our greatest export in Nigeria is Sport. However, education should never be compromised for anything. Education first, then sports.”
Honourable Sherifat Abiodun Adedoyin, Universal Basic Education, Lagos State said; ”Sport is a unique point among all generation and not necessarily the children.
”Sports bring people from different places together and they speak with one voice. ”Everything should not be only on academic there should be extra curriculum activities. However, students should not because of sports abandoned their academics.
Mrs Funmi Adeyemi, a parent at Wellspring Collge said: ”I chose Wellsprings for my children because it’s a unique school. Education excellence and sporting activities make the school unique.
”Because I know the importance of sports, I registered my son with the Pepsi Academy for football and my daughter for volleyball with Westley College.
If playing football or volleyball internationally would make my children happy, I would not deprive them.”
