‘Private schools should serve both rich and poor children’

Deaconess Ayodele Adegbuyi,
Proprietress, Constance Model
School, Ibadan.

Deaconess Ayodele Adegbuyi is the Proprietress of Constance Model Nursery and Primary School, Oremeji, Mokola, Ibadan. In this interview with Kehinde Adio, she speaks about what a standard school is among other issues. Excerpts:

What do you understand by a standard school?
A standard school must be good enough to have condusive learning environment, professional teachers, to be headed by experienced trained per-son in school mana-gement.
sssss

Moreover, it is expected of a standard school to be endowed with modern teaching aids and comply with the national accepted curriculum with an effective teaching methods to impart knowledge on the pupils or students as the case may be.

Again, a standard school must give priority to moral education and discipline. Staff and students of a standard school must embrace discipline. While the proprietress or proprietor must live up to the expectation of the parents and staff in terms of coordinating, supervising the social and academic activities in the school, updating teaching aids and ensuring good welfare for the staff. He or she must subject the teaching staff to periodical retraining to meet the changing challenges in child education.

I make bold to tell you that Constance Model Primary School is endowed with all these qualities of a standard school.

What informed the establishment of your school?
I have strong passion for teaching and impar-ting knowledge to the young ones. I am a teacher by profession and I taught for many years in Lagos State before I retired to set up this school as my own contribution to educational development in Nigeria.

Could you share some of your challe-nges as a proprietress?
There are many challenges but I thank God for his grace in me to overcome them. Finance is one of the major challenges. Our school is located in an environment dominated by low-income earners. This made payment of school fees by parents very difficult. Initially, we had problem of paying the teachers as we ought to. Despite that, we still maintain standard and we compete favourably with high-fee paid schools in the state.

I make bold to say that we have committed and dedicated teachers who do not consider money as major incentive to carry out their civic duties in the school. I am also very proud of our parents for their sincere interest in their child education.

What do you see as major problem facing education in Nigeria?
One of the problems facing education in Nigeria is the non-challant attitude of our youths towards learning. It is sad to note that many of our youths in the country are not willing to learn as their desire for education has fallen and many of them resort to examination malpractices in order to pass. Some parents and even schools contribute to this problem by collaborating with the students to seek for question papers.

These days, some parents do not even bother to know how their children are performing in school, they pay more attention to their businesses than the education of their children. Sustenance of quali-tative education is a function of parents, school and the students. All these stakeholders must contri-bute their quota towards education deve-lopment.

What is the way out?
All the stakeholders in education; government, parents, school and the students must change their attitudes towards education. It is high time parents commited more funds to the education of their children.

Can you tell us more about your school?
We established Constance Model School not to make money but to compliment government’s efforts in building future leaders among our youths in Nigeria. I believe qualitative education should be made available even to the poor people in our society. This informed the establishment of Cons-tance Model School to cater for both the rich and the people without reducing the standard.

In this regards, private school should be made accessible to both the rich and the poor people. So, school should not be too expensive. There are some parents in my school, who pay their children fees in part, yet, we must give these children good education.

Again, we believe in moral and cultural education where we teach our pupils about manners, culture and the fear of God. We dedicate a period once in a week to teach moral education.

Young ones need moral education to form a solid foundation for their careers. Moreover, we expose our pupils to excursion to familiarise them with their immediate enviro-nment, as we encourage them in various sports. This is because sports is part of learning process as it enhances mental and physical development of a child. In fact, our annual inter-house sports is coming up this month.

What is your advice for parents on child education?
My advice is that parents should see education of their children as a major investment.

Don highlights roles of students in varsity development

Friday Ekeoba & Dele Ayeleso, Lagos

Prof. Adebisi Balogun, VC, FUTA

The roles of students in the development of the university system have again been stressed. Speaking during the three-day retreat organised recently for the Principal Officers, Deans, Directors, Heads of Department/Unit, staff and students Union Leaders of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, the Institu-tion’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development), Professor Debo Adeyewa said students can educate their parents on the current under-funding of universities adding that; they should also encourage their parents to ensure availability of essential equipment and overall quality education.

He added that students could link the university with contacts in its developmental drive and productive engagement with the industry.

In his paper entitled “The Role of Students in the Development of the University”, Professor Adeyewa charged the students to always positively project the image of the university to become great vehicle and engine of development and ultimately be effective ambassadors of the university.

Professor Adeyewa, who described students as developmental partners, called on them to constantly create a culture of involvement, engage in students’ endowment, productive engagement with the Alumni and facilitate parental participation in the development of FUTA.

He however, reiterated the need for peace and stability in the system. He also charged the students to be in the vanguard of advocacy of improved quality in learning and teaching, adding that they should ensure non-destructive approach in all situations.

Professor Adeyewa also called on the authorities of the university to invest in the students, explore their potential, add value to them, encourage their self- confidence, actively promote opportunities for students to get involved in student services, committees and sub-committees and actively support and encourage students to realise strategic plans.