•Chinwe Anyas Nwankwo Photo: Sun News Publishing

Woman of the Sun Index

Tough times don’t last. That was the assertion of Chinwe Anyas Nwankwo, the administrator of Rightville and Vinefield Schools as she looked back to her humble beginnings over a decade ago. The source of inspiration for the mother of two then was a book called Step by Step and it motivated her to make her dream a reality. " It was challenging and I started to put the idea together when I came back from America", she recalls.

Pressure actually came when parents demanded picking and dropping of their children from school. It was a new project and her budget could not accommodate a driver. So, the pretty woman took on the task and drove the children to and from school everyday.

"I was the first bus driver for the school. It was hectic and I used to drive the children myself. Gradually, things got better and we were able to employ a driver. My sister who was a professional, and myself put heads together to start this place without receiving salaries".
Just before this, Nwankwo had started a French school but had to sublet the place before going to America. But over time the usual problem with landlords and increase in rent made things difficult. That, however, did not deter her. Her advise to anyone who wants to succeed in business is that they should not give up easily.

"A lot of people start a business for eight months and they expect millions. Running a school is a future thing, it is not a mint. It is not a profession, it is a lifestyle. If it were not a lifestyle then you would get frustrated. Whether you are in the private and public sector, please do not give up".
Business, she adds would succeed after five years. " You don’t even need to expect profit in five years. If you know that the future is bright then you must get involved. If you were involved things would definitely get better.

It is so sad that some people do not participate in their businesses".
The strategy adopted is both the British method and the Nigerian curriculum. "The world is a global village and we believe it is important to make reading very interesting. I must also say that raising children and teaching them is not as difficult as it is used to be. The rate of assimilation is easier once they can see and feel. So, we make the environment more comfortable and the rate of assimilation too".
As a professional teacher, Nwankwo knows that what brings about equality is the quality of education. " Now, it is so tedious for the kids to assimilate. The timetable now has been converted to a song. In our days you had to memorize. But today teaching aids are more available than what we had in our days".
She, however, stressed that unlike in the past when the teacher’s reward was said to be in heaven, things are different now.

"We are now sowing and raising champions in the public and in the private sector. The former Lagos State first lady, Chief Oluremi Tinubu and the current first lady, Abimbola Fashola have tried to make the school environment very conducive. Things are better now because the government is getting the teachers involved".

Achievements? "We have received recognition from the Corporate Citizen Commission and the Most Beautiful Girl competition (Miss NTA), which we won. Apart from this, we have our children in good places like Lekki British School, universities, Vivian Fowler and Queen’s College. During the common entrance examinations, students from our school performed very well and gain entrance into different government schools".

One other creative side is to get the children to do a lot of extra curricular activities. "In the process we have gone to the United Kingdom, Ghana, Cotonou and this Easter we are going to South Africa. The idea is to expose the children to things that are not in the classroom environment. It is important to expose them to their peers in other parts of the world. In Nigeria, we have gone to Badagry, Abeokuta, Lagos House of Assembly, Railway Corporation, the post office, the farm environment and the beach, exposing them to all kinds of activities".

Memorable moments? "The day we moved to our permanent site in year 2004 is a day I would never forget. Also, whenever I see children who left the school gaining admission to higher institutions and coming around to see us here".