Mr Patrick Ogbu, who is the Founder and Proprietor of Noble Stars Schools, Lagos, talks about the need for a national stakeholders’ forum to address pertinent issues in the nation’s education sector.
‘Stop seeing us as competitors’
Government policies on the private sector have had their positive and negative effects. Patrick Ogbu stated:, “Our relationship with the government has been cordial. Though, I have certain resentment of some things the government is doing wrong. One of which is proliferation of taxes. We pay all manner of taxes. The government should try to encourage private practitioners in the industry. We are not competing with the government. We are trying to complement what the government is doing. The government has said over time that they cannot aptly run the education system alone. There is need for private participation and that is why we are here. We have a passion to help. The government should stop seeing us as competitors. When you go to the ministry to obtain relevant documents you are shunned. They should understand that all of us are stakeholders. We have a stake in the lives of the children that are born in this country. The government should create an environment for us to operate. They should encourage us because we are all partners in progress.”
‘The problem is policy implementation’
“The government has come up with a policy which is commendable. They have adjusted the curriculum. They have introduced what we call trade subjects. These are subjects like carpentry, refinery and welding, which are meant to help students after graduation. The white collar job is very scarce these days. Graduates can fall back on these things they have learnt. Our problem in this country is not policy formulation, it is implementation. You hardly find credible textbooks in the market for these subjects. The government should do more to ensure that there are materials for these newly introduced subjects.
There is need for exposure. The children should be able to learn something tangible before they go to the university to streamline their learning. They should be able to fend for themselves. We in this sector are urging the government to make more materials available for us to train these children.”
‘WAEC performance this year was woeful’
On the just - concluded WAEC examination and the mass failure, he had this to say. “The performance of the students who sat for WAEC this year is woeful. Stakeholders have been lamenting bitterly about the falling standard of education. There are many factors involved. I am not just concerned about my students but we are trying to look at the problem holistically. We must try to get to the root of the problem of this poor performance.
“All the stakeholders have a share in the problem. There are so many schools who sought out WAEC for approval just for the sole aim of registering students for WAEC.”
‘It is unethical to stop salaries during holidays’
His opinion on the non - payment of teachers in private school during holiday period was this. “Well for us here, we do not do such. We pay our teachers throughout the year. I believe it is unethical. We hear stories of schools that dismiss all their teachers during long vacation and hereby shop for new ones. I don’t support that notion at all. This action impacts negatively on the education of the students.”
‘I have a deep rooted passion for teaching children’
Speaking on what inspired him to go into education, he told the Nigerian Tribune this. “ I have always had a deep rooted passion for teaching and children. I started as a Sunday school teacher in the church. The school was built out of great love for children and through the conviction that through a child, one can impact the world and make it a better place.”
‘We had financial constraints’
Every venture in life comes with its downsides; Ogbu highlighted his challenges as follows: “It has been quite challenging establishing a private School in this locality because of the impression of the people but we changed all that impression when we came on board.
It is about your willingness to give your child the best. Coupled with our team of passionate teachers we have been able to give them value for their money. Though, we had financial constraints and other factors, we have been able to surmount all those challenges, bringing us where we are today.”
‘Education is not all about religion’
On managing religious diversity, he said: “The issue of religion is not much pronounced here. We allow children to stay where they are and practise whatever religion they are brought up in. Children are unique characters in the sense that they end up choosing the path they want to follow when they grow up.”
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