Brief History of Tansi International College Awka.

PREAMBLE

In the wake of the blossoming negative fruits of government mistake in taking over  the schools in the early “70s, marked by falling standards, indiscipline and corruption, many well-meaning and right thinking individuals have been recalling with nostalgia, the yester years qualitative catholic education and holistic formation, and have been asking serious questions. Most people, particularly parents are anxiously longing, searching and thirsting for the church’ return to take over her once deprived responsibility. This school –T.I.C,Awka is borne out of the need to satisfy these desires and yearnings of the people. It is also borne out of the inspiration and good directives of the Holy Spirit in the church, to be ever present and fulfilling the existential of the faithful.

Our noble institution started on 22nd September, 1999.Then the population of the students was 99 with seven external  teachers, four  seniors seminarians, principal and vice-principal. Now the college has total population of 600 students with 42 teachers and three priests. The goal of establishing the college was to offer balance education to students, who are being educated to excel in various spheres of life . The patron of the college is Blessed Michael Cyprian Iwene Tansi. Blessed Michael Iwene Tansi  was seasoned  disciplinarian, who lived a saintly life, and that is the reason why strict discipline is always maintained  in the college. Students are being trained intellectually and religiously. They are being formed to become real models for others both in personal interaction and in relationship with other people. They are being educated to face the challenges of the society. The college is “international” with regard to our foreign collaborations and envisaged high standards in academics and management.

LOCATION

The college was sited here under the auspices of the catholic Bishop of Awka - Rt Rev Dr.A. K. Obiefuna, who in January 1994,paid a visit to the Umodu Village in Okpuno and notice that a large number  of their children do not go to school, and that the nearest school was too far away. As a good pastor with vision of developing people, he approached the elders of the community for a piece of land to build a Nursery/Primary School for them. The elders promptly and generously gave present site, and work immediately commenced. A long hall serving as both school and church outstation was built.

But the land soon went into dispute with Ezinano community of Awka, who claimed that the piece of land belongs to them and stopped work in the site. Investigations revealed that the piece of land belongs to them  and the Diocese was compelled to renegotiate with the rightful owners. In June 1995, an agreement was reached with the Ezinano-Awka Community and they offered the piece of land to the Diocese for religious educational purposes.

NATURE

The decision to change the proposed  Nursery/Primary School  to a secondary School was taken by His Lordship, Rt. Rev.Dr. S.A. Okafor, who became the Diocesan Bishop of Awka by end of 1984. As a great educationalist and thinking existentially, he felt the need to sustain the campaign against low male enrolment in post primary and  tertiary institutions. Hence, thoughts for boys’ College of  international standard Crystallized into discussions and matured into a decision taken in 1996, to which the Diocesan Pastoral Council gave its blessing  and support. Construction work started in earnest in October, 1996 and has since continued. All students are borders for effective discipline and formation.

NAME OF THE COLLEGE

This College-Tansi International College-is  so named after the first Saintly Nigerian Priest-Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi- who was dedicated to the education of the youth. So, he is the patron of the School and whose feast is celebrated 20th January every year.

It is “International” College not only to underscore the bridging of gaps among the peoples of the World through bringing them to a common project {as exemplified in the sponsorship of this college}, but also to draw attention to the high quality standard envisaged for the institution in performance and management.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE COLLEGE

  This college intends to recapture and restore the glories of past Catholic education and formation. It aims at holistic and disciplined education, at qualitative education and moral formation, leading to the production of a generation of civilized and responsible, hard-working and conscience-oriented citizens that will make a turn around to the present decadent and corrupt practices and lead the Nation and World forward.

AS a subsidiary objective, it aims at decongesting the seminaries where many flock to obtain good education and moral formation but not necessarily with genuine intention to become priests.  The college offers such formation and the priesthood can even be a by - Product.

SPONSORSHIP

The decision to make this a college instead and for boys was easily taken but the fund  to realize the dream was unavailable. Consequently, international assistance was sought and tremendous help came.

AREAS OF MAJOR ACHIEVEMENT

Considering the glories of the Catholic education, l most say with all certainty that there is an outstanding achievement in the areas of discipline, academics and spiritual life of the students. Academically, the college has been performing very well. From the academic records of the past three years, 2007,2008 and 2009,we  discovered students getting  alphas in all the subjects . Really, it is a wonderful achievement. There cannot be academic excellence if students are not well disciplined. There must be strict discipline so that they can sit down and study. Students cannot do much if there no spiritual orientation. In order to achieve this, they have full  time spiritual director living with them, and also some priests who come  on Fridays to help the spiritual director in hearing their confessions. They  pray four times a day  - Morning  prayer/Holy  Mass, afternoon prayer, evening prayer and night prayer. In addition, we have also introduced THURSDAY EVENING PRAYER, where students are specially prayed for and taught how to pray. So, right now I can say with joy that a lot has been achieved in these areas that form the backbone of Catholic education.

THE PROMISE OF THE COLLEGE TO THE SOCIETY

The College has consistently risen to the fulfillment of the promise that she will not relent in her efforts in molding the lives and character of our young students. To actualize the objective, seminarians are always posted to the college to help. One seminarian is assign to each hostel to make sure that the rules and regulations of the college are enforced and complied with. The students are our future hopes. They are the people who shall go back to the society to change it so that we have a better society. That is why we are committed to the task of offering them our best. We treat them with respect, fairness, consideration and love. They in turn are required to give back to the society the values they have received.

Subsequently, the teachers do not hesitate to bring fruition their firm promise to educate these boys by preparing their lessons, attending classes on and staying back during the long holidays and Easter holidays to continue teaching the students. Such is a wonderful sacrifice which they sincerely own the students as a duty.

In response, the students always appreciate every inch of sacrifices being made for their wellbeing. Thus, they co-operate with the teachers readily. They are very active and involved in teaching-learning process and activity. The make effort to obey the college rules and regulations laid down for them. Even the pioneer students together with their contemporaries have formed themselves into an Association of Old students of T.I. C.A and they meet regularly.

THE TANSIAN LIGHT MAGAZINE

The cordial  relationship between  the college teachers and students gave room for the birth  of the  Magazine. The Tansian  Light Magazine is indeed the light after the first African blessed, the Blessed Michael Cyprian Iwene  Tansi, who  is truly the light to Africans  particularly Nigerians. The college took the name of this great man as a result of his brilliant academic performances and outstanding moral character. This captures and underlines the rationale behind the choice of motto of the college as “Wisdom and Discipline”. This two elements stand out  vividly in his lived  experiences by which he has  become the light  for every human being in World to emulate

Moreover, the birth of the Tansia n Light Magazine has provoked tremendous interests in the minds and hearts of both the Tansian young students and teachers to go into educational research and writings that will feed Nigeria and beyond. In  this way, the Tansian Light Magazine hope to become a genuine  Light to the nation and to the World. The Tansian Light Magazineis entirely educational in her pursuit. It is our  expectation therefore through  this maiden edition, a new door will be opened to the students, as they  learn and rise  up early enough to contribute  their very best in broadening the horizons for creative thinking and commitment in building the future Nigeria.