Agnes Onyekwere is a First Class graduate of Mass Communication from the University of Jos and a fellow of Teach for Nigeria, a fellowship that is committed to ending educational inequity. In this interview by KANGMWA GOFWEN, she speaks about her experience in the classroom as a teacher, among other things.
YOU are a first-class graduate of Mass Communication. How does it feel to be in the classroom with pupils?
I have always found myself in the classroom, one way or another. During my time in high school, I was that student who would be the first to wipe the board and the one to help the teacher write notes on the board. This metamorphosed into organised tutorials, where my classmates asked me to explain complex concepts to them. I would always catch myself talking to empty classrooms. I did that all the way to the university, where I organised tutorial classes in my department: one for my course mates and the other for my junior colleagues who had questions and wanted to understand certain concepts. During holidays, instead of going home, I would find a school to teach.
Even after my university days, when I got a job to help build an online radio, my job at the radio would start by 10 am. By that time, I had had three hours of teaching time in a primary school where I taught part-time. I mean I was trying to make extra bucks at the time. But when I sat down to calculate how long I have been teaching, that was when I realised I have been doing this for a long time. So, right now, I do not feel any type of way being in the classroom. It is a place I can call my natural habitat.
What can you say about the education system of Nigeria?
My job as a fellow of Teach for Nigeria has opened my eyes to the different issues that abound in the educational sector. These problems were not that evident when I was teaching in private schools. Coming to Ogun State, I was brought in to handle a class of 24. The pupils are supposed to be in primary 4, but the problem is that 20 out of 24 of them cannot read. Reaching out to my colleagues, I find that they have the same problems. One thing comes to mind: serious foundational problems, that stems from pushing children from one class to the next with no serious work done on them in previous classes. Then you find the blame game going on ─ the government blaming the teachers for the failure, nonchalance in the sector; then the teachers blame the government for not motivating them properly to do their jobs with the pupils.
At the end of the day, they both have a hand in how badly the system has turned out ─ students and teachers sitting down in dilapidated buildings they call classrooms to learn, and teachers who cannot afford to ‘kill themselves with this government job’.
Teaching is a job that a lot of people have relegated. What is the motivation for you in the classroom?
I really cannot say what it is about the classroom that keeps me in it, but I can tell you something: I love the feeling, it is something I would do for free, even if I was not going to get paid. I feel at home teaching children. The issues I face in my classroom make me feel more involved in the welfare of these children.
I have children who cannot afford three square meals in a day, but they are happy to come to class because they know Miss Agnes will see to it that they are alright before they go back home. I have pupils who come to school without school materials and uniforms. I try to help out with the little that I have. Over time, I have built a network of supportive friends who follow my work on the social media and want to be a part of our story. So, of recent, I have had donations in different forms: school uniforms, stationeries, a computer and a lot more.
Right now, I look at my pupils and I have cause to smile, seeing that they are gradually changing. It is a beautiful feeling. Though there are more than one thousand students in the school who I cannot extend myself to because there is hardly enough fund for them, I guess it is one thing at a time.
The country is almost in shambles. How do you think we can change the course of the country from the classroom?
I believe that teachers are one set of people I believe can change the world. We are a group of people that have the future right in front of us. I do my job knowing that, these pupils are going to make up the next generation of Nigerians and I have the power to instill in them the qualities I expect to see in the next generation of Nigerians.
I may have the next president in my class. What I teach him/her today will add up one way or another to how he/she would lead this nation. I may have future doctors, nurses, engineers, scientists, etc. Imagine what will happen if I do not do my job well, these dreams will die. I will end up raising touts, drop-outs, beggars, fraudulent individuals, prostitutes, etc. In this case, I have helped to make the future a horrible possibility.
That is why I believe the Teach for Nigeria mantra, which states that the best minds should be recruited and sent back to the classroom where they would help shape the future of the country. Most of us (fellows) under the umbrella of Teach for Nigeria are first-class graduates.
You are from the eastern part of Nigeria and you now teach in a remote community in the West. How has the journey been?
It has been a roller-coaster, a lot of ups and downs. Not being able to speak the language here has been a major concern for me, even though I have resolved to learn it. It is not easy being in a place where it feels like you are all alone in the world. My mum cried when I told her I was going to resign and take up this job. She thought it was not worth the risk, and there I was excited to go somewhere new and touch people’s lives in a place that was miles away from my comfort zone.
Do you have plans of returning to media practice?
I never left! I dare to say that studying Mass Communication prepared me to be a fantastic educator. Educational broadcasting is a part of the media most people have not explored. I find that there are hardly any stories about the realities of this sector. There is so much going on, but there is less and less of it going out there. I intend to tell stories of my experiences so that people know what is going on here, because there is a lot.
I may not have the means to start huge, but I have already started. I have gotten tremendous feedback from my numerous posts on my social media platforms, especially Facebook and LinkedIn. If I had just studied education from the beginning, I can say I would not have made this level of impact. I am still exploring. It will all make sense soon. But if the question is about me returning to the radio full-time, the answer is… it is not happening.
You are seeking support to keep one of your students in school. Why are you particular about her and how much support have you gurnard for her?
I am seeking support for a student of mine, in fact one of my best students. She was a part of the students I had to make uniforms for last term because I noticed the one she was wearing was torn in many places.
She came to school one morning to tell me that she was leaving. The other teacher informed me that when she probed in her native dialect, the girl told her that she was going to assist a lady who just gave birth as a domestic help. I called her mom and I had to meet her in Lagos where she was. She told me the story of how she could no longer take care of her and how she got separated from the dad.
Since there was no plans to take her to school, I resolved to help out in whatever way that I could. I started to imagine what would have happen to me if I did not get at least a primary school education. Seeing how bright she was, I started to speak to friends and family; and at the moment, we have raised more than half the funds we need to, at least, enroll her and get her in school. We need another N10,000 to complete the assignment.
How does it feel to move from an urban setting to a very remote village?
I would not say that it is ‘very remote’, at least you can find most things you need. But again where I was before coming here was more of an urban setting than Adefisan and Italupe in Ijebu Ode. For me, this experience is an adventure and one I decided to embark on willingly. So, I will say I am enjoying the ride.
How long is your teaching fellowship?
My fellowship lasts for two years, and I am just eight months into it.
What are your plans for your career, going forward?
I am going for a master’s degree in Education. That is all I can say for now. But, just be rest assured that my work with children has just begun.
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