“Teaching is a calling
not a profession. In law, we say you can’t put something on nothing and expect
it to stand. Now, the foundation as I have mentioned is faulty. A lot of
teachers are into teaching because the entry level into the profession is
cheap”…Ogaga Omo-Ovie
Can we meet you please?
Greetings
everyone, my name is Ogaga Omo-Ovie. First I want to appreciate Edulight for
this opportunity to have me here, my passion is about building dreams and
easing burdens for people, corporate bodies and nations. I am a lawyer by
training; I have my first and second degrees in law. Basically, I am a
passionate educator. I am very high on education reform. And that led me to
begin a nonprofit organization called “Mind Power Africa” which I ran from when
I left the university up until now. In 2016, I went into consulting because I
want to help people solve problems when it comes to leadership, purpose and
also strategy. I had to come up with a consulting outfit “Process &
Paradigms Consulting”, registered in Nigeria. We have hosted a number of
events; quite recently, we had a teen’s leadership and business school to help
teenagers find themselves and also prepare them for the future which is here.
And then we hosted the creativity unleashed for children, A-2days boot camp for
children where we considered the Arts as a key to unlocking the creativities of
children. We also have a parents leadership course coming up soon . We also
provide leadership training for school owners. We believe everything will rise
and fall on leadership. How the organization goes depends on how the leadership
structure is going. So, we are very high in leadership development in our
organization.
Staying on the leadership drive, we know
you have passion catching the children young and helping them develop their
leadership trait. How has this been running and what is the impact level so
far?
Let
me go back memory lane, in 2006 I was a 400level students studying in the
University of Benin. And I was one of the best in my class but I was feeling
this high sense of dissatisfaction with what I was doing. Somehow, I knew I may
not practice law like every other person. That was a concern for me because
there were no models around me to guide me in the way my mind was leading me .I
believe in God and I don’t want to bore us with it. It is my personal
conviction. I spoke to a few friends and I found my way, after I was done with
the law school and the youth service in 2009 , I went to Daystar Leadership Academy for three (3) weeks. And
that was the defining moment for my life. It was like a road map for me, I came
back from Daystar Leadership Academy and immediately put together my first
school event called the “catalyst”. I hosted three (300) Secondary school
students cut across public and private schools . I did that 2009, I did another
one in 2010 then I paused in 2011 because I ran out of funds. I was funding it
myself with support of some friends and family. Then I had to think of other
ways to fund the initiative. I brought in a board, friends and from that point
we continued. That was how we had a conference in Warri, Agbor and other
neighbouring towns .For Covid 19, it could have been Ogun State this year; we
had to restructure the “catalyst” this year to become a future readiness event.
Beyond leadership, we are to look at the issue of Tech, the issue of emotional
intelligence to prepare our children for the future which is already here. I
would share one or two experiences. One of my interns today from the secondary
school was part of those who had attended our event. We have had children who
attended our event and become interns in our NGO. I have Miracle, I have
Samson, Joseph and a number of them who after school, they come and intern with
us.
Coming to education in this part of the
world, do you think we are where we ought to be in terms of impact and the
manpower we churn out?
Okay!
Thank you so much for this question. Before I got into Uniben I taught for a
session in a school close to my house. And I also had private lessons I
handled. And I found out from that time that if Nigeria would be reformed and
transformed, we need to do something about our education system. Now, whatever
enters a child will come out in a life. Let me go back to what I do with
graduates. I recruit for school owners and for Small and Medium Enterprises. I
have had graduates sit before me and I couldn’t employ them. That led me to
host a two months online Employabiity course. And just recently I have packaged
it as the “Basic Employabiity Course for graduates.”We going to have the second course in October,
2020. We have a modules on how to attend
interviews,how to craft a winning CV, how to package yourself, how to
manage yourself. Now, why did I say all these? Our current education system is
defective. Let me share my experience, I am currently doing post graduate
programme somewhere in Nigeria (Name withheld). I took that course because I
wanted to know the content of teacher education in Nigeria. I don’t just want
to be talking from what people told me.
So I took a form, got admitted and when I was going to do my clearance, I sent
in my documents for clearance and the admin officer asked me why am I going
into education? You are a lawyer, you made 2.1, I was sad! I said to myself, is
education a second grade place to be? I even have classmates who think I should
not be there. So She was wondering why would I have a grade like that in
law and decide to go for education. That
is how sad. My classroom is nothing to write home about. Now that is not where
I am going. We sat for exam before the
lock down. One day I came to the class. I saw that the wooden desk was scrapped
with razor blade and answer of the previous exam was written on the desk. This
is a teacher training programme. Another experience I had again, a lecturer
came to class and was reading to us from a text book which we have already
bought. So, I stood up and told him that sir, just tell us the page you are
reading from instead of copying what we already have. He felt offended, but I
have paid my fees and this is my fourth degree. I am not trying to gather
degrees I have my reason for taking the course. If you decide to fail me no
problem I have gotten what I want to get from you. I also did a training here
in College of Education in Benin some years ago, 2011. And where teachers are
raised is worse than a pen for animals. So, I can imagine why we have our
education in poor state. Then again, admission! Those who are currently in
education have no business in education, some wanted law, some wanted business
admin. I interviewed some teachers and school owners and I asked them. How come
you studied education? The reply many a time will be, “I wanted something else
but I was pushed there.” And you can feel the pain, that person may not give
his best. So, when you look at all I have said holistically, you would see that
we are not ready to work on our education system. If we are ready, I am very
sure that the government has the will power to make it happen.
Now, we have identified some of the
setbacks in the education sector in this part of our world. What are those
things you think we need to put in place?
Okay,
no.1 ..I am privileged to have just finished training with some school owners
and teachers here in Benin and Warri. One of the school owners said to me, “I
am not going to train teachers again. And I said no! You should not say that.
No training no reigning. “The quality of education in Nigerian can be worked on
by; 1. Each school should have a training curriculum for their teachers beyond
when they have in their resume . 2. From my own angle I am thinking of a
teachers mentoring programme which I also advice school owners to have. You can
set up your own project. Where teachers come to you, you would create a time
for them a period of say four (4) years. By the time they are done they would
be as strong as if they went to Europe or any other country for training.
But again we have cases where you organize
free training for teachers and they barely attend? What is your message for
these teachers?
Teaching
is a calling not a profession. In law, we say you can’t put something on
nothing and expect it to stand. Now, the foundation as I have mentioned is
faulty. A lot of teachers are into teaching because the entry level into the
profession is cheap. How can you admit some with 100 or less score in JAMB into
education faculty? I have a problem with that. Secondly, when one cannot get
into University where they desire then they will be thrown into College of
Education. How? That approach is wrong! These teachers go there and because
they have attempted admission to University it didn’t work so they settle for
College of Education. And somehow because they can buy result they come out and
they want to teach. Most school owners are stranded and they have no choice but
to get them into the system because parents have paid So they can manage them.
The product is already defective but we can work on it. Those who are willing
to learn, I would say in life you should be ready to learn, unlearn and
re-learn. If in your profession, someone does something right then you should
be ready to learn. In my life for instance I wasn’t born a consultant. I learnt
it. I have consulting mentors. I even took a three (3) months consulting course
online because I have clients to serve. I didn’t learn consulting from studying
law. So, now basically I think the school owners have a part to play. Then
again, like I tell teachers, a number of teachers are teaching for the money.
That is why there is high teacher’s attrition in private schools. One owner of
the school said half of her teachers never resumed even after lock down. It is
because there is no passion. I tell school owners that if you see a person who
is passionate about teaching and they don’t have skill, embrace that person and
train him or her. You cannot train loyalty into a skillful rebel. You can train skill into a loyal person. So,
if you see someone who is willing to learn and, he or she is teachable and
malleable then skill is not difficult to put in. So, that is my take!
What role do you think parents need to play
for effective impartation in education? Considering the Covid 19 pandemic
ravaging the world right now also relating it to embracing of hybrid learning
in education?
Very
brilliant question, I must say Ken. Now! I call school owners because I work
with private schools a lot. There is a need for parent education. Now before
you bring the parents into your school, You must onboard parents the way you onboard your staff. Some
people became parents sorry by accident. There is no intention around
parenting. You have parents come to school and shout at teachers in front of
their children because they don’t understand the teacher .Parents have to work
hand in hand with Teachers because they both have a goal. Wherever the teacher
stops the parent continues. There should be synergy but because some parents
are not enlightened enough. What some of them know is that it is time to get
married, they get married, impregnate your wife, give birth, I look for school,
the school is messed up I move on. I have heard of a parents take their
children from a school because there was school fees hike . Some children will
attend five to seven schools before they come out of primary school. These
things are problematic. School search is something parents need to be
intentional about. My son will be a year in October. I discovered that my son
at age 2months, he is very musically oriented. He loves sounds. When you play
music he wants to dance. So, I am already thinking in that line. I am ready
doing my research and asking questions. The goal of a parent is to be a talent
manager. You identify the child’s talent and train him/her in that direction.
We have had teachers tell students; “this is what I feel you can do from your
grade”The parent says no and the teacher is saying something else. The parents
would say “rubbish! You are going to be doctor.”The child becomes confused. My
teacher says A, my parents says B. When I was growing up, PTA meetings for us
were when our parents and teachers could relate. They discussed us. Oh!
“Ogaga’s grades dropped last term what happened? Sir, I think, he is
distracted. Can you do this? can you do that? My father then refused to put a
colour television and a video cassette player in our house because of me. That
is to tell you, because our teacher has told him that I play too much and can be easily distracted. My teacher
would give me a note for my father about my performance. My father would even
come to school. Right now there are lots of young people going into parenthood
who are not ready for parenting. My take is we need a lot of parent education.
For the school and for the parent, around October-November I will be holding a
programme for parents, parenting leadership course in Benin, online and offline. One of the
things teenagers keep telling me is that I see myself singing, I see myself
dancing. My daddy said he won’t pay school fees for someone who wants to sing
or dance. There is a need for enlightenment campaign for the parents. I may not
have the entire world but if I have five (5) parents attend the Parenting
Leadership Course we can begin a revolution and gradually we can move from that
point. Going back to technology, in we law say “you can’t give what you don’t
have.”When we educate our parents, then we can tell them the relevance of skill
assessment for their children. I just had training for school owners on
technology and strategy. We also explores excel and google tools .The world has
gone too advanced for us to be a blast in the past. We can bring in these
courses for parents and tell them the need. Ignite the need to learn.
What of some parents who may not be
conversant with technology?
Yes!
The way tech is designed, We were not born with it. I am a millennial. I met
gadget I wasn’t born with it. One thing about life, you must be willing to
learn, unlearn and re-learn. There was a time we had typewriters. Some of my
family members were employed with it then but with the advent of computers they
had to upgrade to meet up with the current growing demand. The upgrade mandates
us to learn. The way tech and gadgets are wired, if you are willing you can
pick up. You might not be proficient in it but at least you would have an idea.
Any word for the students out there, who
follow us on our platforms, what do you have to say to them?
I
want to appreciate the Nigerian children and children all over the world for
their doggedness throughout the pandemic that ravaged the world seriously. I
want to say to you that inside of you there is greatness. Carry goodness
around, discover yourself, develop what you have and the world is yours for
taking. God bless you!
Thank
you for your time Mr. Ogaga Omo-Ovie. We appreciate!