‘If I catch a teacher
sleeping, I show him the gate’
By BISI OLALEYE and NIKE AJAYI
Monday, July 17, 2006
 |
•Sarah Agboola
Photo: The Sun News Publishing |
|
Running a school can be a profitable venture. But for Pastor
Mrs. Sarah Aderonke Agboola, proprietress of Dainty Private
School, Egbeda, the foray into school business was not for
profit motive. Rather, it was for the love she has for children
and the teaching profession.
Even though she studied food and nutrition, she went ahead
to establish a school which has given her fame and fortune.
"I like education because it is light. It revolves around
the society. It exposes you to different things of life. When
I was young, people called me teacher because of my love for
kids," Mrs. Agboola told Daily Sun.
She spoke on the challenges of running a school, saying that
"school business is a lucrative business."
Initial challenges
At early stage, I faced the problem of growth. Some schools
start with three arms under a teacher. I didn’t do that.
I assign a teacher, whether I have one child in the class
or not. I still assign a teacher to handle that class. It
was like at that time when I started, I was just charging
peanuts. I had to look for money with the assistance of my
husband and other businesses that I do. I was into other businesses
before I dabbled into school.
So, I was actually paying my teachers from those other businesses.
That was how I was able to tackle the challenges. Though at
a point I thought of quitting, I didn’t want to continue
but actually you know I didn’t start school business
because I wanted to make money. But because I have a vision.
God revealed to me, I had it in the dream that I should mould
lives. At the initial stage, I thought God wanted me to do
a kind of NGO. God spoke to me that this is exactly what he
wanted me to do.
Why School?
All along, I have always loved kids, I will call myself a
born teacher, because I love education. Nigeria can get away
with other things but they cannot get away when it comes to
education. Because I know the importance of education. I cherish
education much. I always felt bad when my mother called me
out to do something else when I was reading. I was a very
serious kid when I was in School. When I was in secondary
school, we were about five.
My own school was like the type that when I was in school,
when we were supposed to put five years, I put in two or two
and a half years. So, what I learnt back then I want to give
back and put into other peoples lives. I put myself in the
position that I can run a school and run it like a ministry.
And one way or the other, I can help parents. That is why
in my school, I am not so particular about money. I don’t
send children home immediately because of money unlike other
schools where you present your tellers before entering the
school gate. I also have children of widows who don’t
pay. And other people like that.
Lucrative business
In those days, I can say school business was a lucrative business.
I don’t want to mention names of schools but I want
to talk about schools that sprang up 15 or 25 years ago. Because
then, you probably will have one school in the whole of Akowonjo
area and everybody has to get their kids there. But these
days, government just allowed every Tom and Harry to operate
schools. Somebody can just wake up one day and start a school
in a room and they will get away with it. I won’t say
it is lucrative except you have the love of the kids in mind.
Before, school business was very lucrative but not that lucrative
now. Now it is just like any other business that is suffering
the trend in the economy. I find fulfilment at the end of
the day. The little I have that remains after paying my teachers
salary, and any other thing, I am contended with it. Because
I am not looking at it as any other business. But I am looking
at it as a business of moulding lives and taking care. I enjoy
it and I feel fulfilled at the end of the day.
Competition
We are not ignorant of the fact that schools are springing
up everyday. But I have been able to cope very well because
I am very good and talented in picking out qualified teachers.
So, I have been able to cope very well, hence I am not afraid
to compete with any other school, because in as much as one
is giving out qualitative, one is not afraid. I know we offer
qualitative and good education here. So I am ready to compete
with other schools. The standards here can not be compared
to any other school.
Uniqueness
We are unique from other schools because I see these children
like mine. It is like another home away from home, when it
comes to Dainty. I am also very caring and I handle the children
just the way I handle my own biological kids and I also make
myself approachable. My children can reach me, their parents
can approach me, they can talk to me, even my teachers, they
see me as a mother. Their problem is my problem.
These kids I get to know them beyond the school, in as much
as I don’t ask intimate questions. If a child fails
to do home work, I still want to know why. Some of them live
with guardians, others parents, step parents, even busy parents
who don’t have time. So, I always step in the gap of
the parents when they are here in the school.
We are also unique because unlike some schools who employ
teachers based on certificates alone, in our school, we have
a consultant who tests our teachers so it is not enough that
you come and say that you are a degree holder. You are still
tested to make sure you can handle the class effectively.
Because we are not ignorant of the fact that people buy certificates.
People just come out of the university now and buy their way
through. I monitor my students and they are doing very well
in their secondary schools.
Number of students in the school
In those days, one can open a school and people can come in,
hundreds yearly. Mine is like a vision, so I am not particular
about the multitudes because I believe that when something
is a vision, it is not for everybody. So far, I am contended
with the number here. We are in hundreds, so I give God the
glory because school business is highly competitive like we
have said before. So far, it has been so good. We have been
able to retain the numbers we have. And I have been able to
have reasonable number joining us every year.
How do you employ teachers?
I don’t employ secondary school leavers because apart
from the fact that most of them are not matured, and that
they are just trying to make ends meet before they gain admission
into the university, they are not really committed because
they are not professionals. Another fact is that we always
write lesson notes and plan and except you are a professional
teacher, it takes time to put them through. If you have been
in school probably as an ND holder, or Grade Two teacher,
you must have been exposed to Teaching Practice over the years.
Why Dainty?
Actually when I started, I picked the name Dynasty, so when
I got to the Ministry of Education, I was told that a school
has already picked the name and that I should change the name.
At the end of the day I found out that it is a blessing in
disguise. So, I used Dainty. Dainty actually means something
weak, something beautiful. Also it is like something delicately
beautiful and these children we are moulding are delicate.
So, we have to be careful the way we are moulding. We have
it at the back of our minds that they are beautiful and delicate,
so we are raising them, we also put into consideration that
they are tender and delicate so we shouldn’t allow them
to break.
Management style
At Dainty, I keep my teachers on their toes, I have earned
so many nicknames from my teachers, those who had left the
school will tell others who want to come in that ‘you
want to go to Dainty? That woman doesn’t rest. She keeps
people on their toes, I have never seen a proprietress who
doesn’t sleep. I don’t know where she gets her
energy from even when she is down, she will still be directing
from her office.
And still come to the classes’. In my school, teachers
who have been there will tell the new ones that I will still
come there and make sure they take the number of subjects
expected of them per day. This is not a school where you can
dodge any subjects because I will ask the kids and find out.
By the time you are supposed to be in the 4th period, I ensure
that you are there. And also I will take their books to be
sure you have actually taken the subjects. I found out that
in this profession, majority of the teachers are lazy. I don’t
know why. I don’t have answers to that yet. But I know
that the teachers know the right thing to do but they will
not just do it. Some will come to school to sleep.
If I get a teacher sleeping on duty and I warn that person
twice and you still do it the third time, then you are out,
I will just show you the gate. I keep teachers on their toes.
In this school teachers must write their lesson notes during
the holiday, before school resumes we would have written lesson
notes for half a term, for six or seven month weeks and it
would have been marked during the holiday.
Management Hero
I have many of them. Bill Gates is my hero because I learnt
that he was a school drop out. When I look at my life and
reflect back, I don’t like people who sit back when
they fail and feel defeated. I don’t believe that when
you fail in life, you should relent. The society is not where
you just sit back and accept your fate. Mrs Abeke Doregos
of St Bennedite School and Doregos Secondary School is also
my hero. I admire her much, she also started from the scratch
and look at her today, her school has gone round the world.
Also, I admire Mrs. Ijiwole of Dratfort School, Abule Egba,
she is an educationist to the core. I have met her so many
times. And the last person is Mrs. Layi, the proprietress
of Greenspring School whom I also admire for what she has
been able to achieve in school business for over 20 years
now. She always organises an open house seminar where she
discusses the thick and thin of what she has gone through
before she arrived. I do take my teachers there every year.
She always allows different schools to attend and learn from
her experience.
Loan From Bank
I did not collect any loan from a bank when I wanted to start
my business. Like I said earlier, I used money from my other
businesses to float this school.
Coping at the home front
I owe much to God because I hardly break down. I have always
been able to balance both ways. You don’t expect me
to mould other children’s lives and leave mine for other
people to do. You won’t believe it, I don’t even
have a house-help at home. I ensure I get home on time to
take care of my kids. Though I have home teachers for them,
at the same time, I pick them from school in the afternoon.
I ask the driver to pick them and bring them here. I take
care of them, I feed them and we go home together. They take
their siesta and then I also take some rest when I get home
in the afternoon together with the kids. When I am busy cooking
dinner, they are doing their homework.
I have never joked with my kids. I always make sure I balance
things up about what concerns my kids, and I am not lacking
in what I am supposed to do as a wife. My husband has been
very supportive. He goes to work, and comes back in the evening,
he is a kind of person that doesn’t mind micro wave
oven food and he doesn’t put stress on one. In the morning,
he likes pap and bean cake.
So, over the weekend, I prepare much of that and put it in
the freezer. So when he is leaving in the morning, we put
it in the microwave and he takes it along. Every morning,
he takes pap to his office and put one tin in the fridge so
the secretary prepares it for him there. He is a type who
doesn’t like you to pack anything for him for lunch.
Occasionally I pack snacks for him. I wake up as early as
5 a.m in the morning, pray, and prepare the children for school
and also prepare food and then I come to school. By 7.30 a.m,
I am already in school. Because my house is a stone throw
from the school. God is so wonderful that he allows me have
uninterrupted sleep.
|
