Moses Oyediran,
Enugu An educationist, Mrs. Beatrice Ochi says poverty is a major factor limiting progress of school children in their academic pursuit.
Ochi, who is the proprietress of Bethany International School, New Haven Extension, Enugu, spoke during the school’s graduation ceremony. She also declared that her experiences over the years show that poverty is a big problem in the sector.
“I did not just start the school; I retired from Command Day Secondary School as a principal about five years ago. After two years, I noticed that small kids were always disturbing me in the dreams, saying mummy go and finish your job.
“I was taking it as a joke until one day I travelled home and a small baby said mummy I will follow you; I want to stay in your school. Even when I am going home, you see a lot of children following me. So, I decided to open this school. I felt God wants me to finish whatever he has assigned me to do and that is how the school started,” the school proprietress narrated.
On challenges facing the school, she said that “education is capital intensive; you have to buy books, computer and so many other things that will help you impart knowledge on the pupils.
“These children when you admit them, you find out that because things are very hard, parents cannot pay their school fees. They find it very difficult, so at a point you have brought the children to a certain level, you see them going down again, may be because the parents may have taken them out of school and keeping them at home for long.
“The government should encourage private schools; make approval easy, provide learning facilities like computers and books to lift standard of education in the country”
Describing the event as a memorable day in the history of the school, Ochi said “it is remarkable to note that our three years here at Bethany School is a journey that we have taken all together. It has been full of twists and turns and marked by countless challenges to overcome whether they were academics or personal.
“Today, we have assembled with full smiles on our faces to congratulate and celebrate the graduation of an outstanding class and a formidable class, a class brimming not only with knowledge, but with compassion and ambition.