Uncommon teacher!

A nursery-2 teacher at Methodist Nursery and Primary School, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Mrs. Opeogun Folake Ayoade, who was dissatisfied with the less-than-adequate condition under which her pupils were learning has done demonstrated the spirit espoused by late former United States President John F. Kennedy, who on the day of his inauguration in 1961, charged Americans, “Ask not for what your country can do for you, rather ask for what you can do for your country.”
Fired up by this thought, Ayoade took the uncom­mon step of spending almost N400,000 of her own funds to renovate the classroom in which she taught the pupils, who could tomorrow become president, governors, legisla­tors, professionals and captains of industry.
Self-effacing Ayoade, said she took the bold initiative to complement government’s efforts at providing education for the citizenry.
She did not only renovate classroom which accom­modates 30 pupils, Ayoade re-plastered the floor, repainted the walls, inside and outside; she decorated them with educational nursery images and symbols and equipped the classroom with teaching and learning aids such as television, DVD player, picture charts in addition to installing a standing fan, window blind and pro­vided a generating set thereby making the learning environ­ment conducive for the pupils.
As it turned out, Ayoade’s marvelous, laudable and pioneering effort did not go unnoticed as the Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) wrote her a letter of commendation, which as she disclosed, would spur her to do more.
Since the beautiful manifes­tation of her deep love for the pupils under tutelage, Ayoade has become the envy of her colleagues across the state and parents of pupils who continue to shower her with praise and drench the humble teacher with their prayers.
Ayoade, a graduate of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ijebu North Area of the state, where she studied Nursery/Primary Education, told Sunday Sun that gov­ernment alone should not be left with the responsibility of providing educational infra­structure.
Her words: “As a teacher, I strongly believe that responsi­bilities of providing qualitative education to all Nigerians in all tiers should not be left to the governments alone. When I was posted to this class few years ago, I decided to take the bull by the horn and joined hands with our state government not only to ensure conducive environment for my pupils, but also provide teach­ing aids which I believe will enhance their learning.”
Ayoade, mother of five paid glowing tributes to his late mother who, she said, shoul­dered the responsibilities of bringing up her children alone after the sudden death of her father.
“I lost my father when I was in primary six and the respon­sibilities of educating us fell on my mother, a teacher who did her best to bring us up as well as educate us. Forever, I will be grateful to her.
Speaking further on her motivation to embark on the project, Ayoade said: “I felt I could contribute my own quota to the educational needs of the school particularly when the classroom condition was not conducive. The classroom was an eyesore with its dilapidated floor as well as internal and external walls which were beg­ging for attention when I was posted here.
“I summoned up courage with my meagre salary to re-plaster the classroom floor, re-paint both the internal and external walls and later went on to give it a new face by equipping it with desired teaching aids, which to the glory of God has made learning faster and the pupils are excited about it.
“I believe we have to assist government in whatever way for them to help us too. When I started this in December 2012, many of my colleagues were wondering what had come over me, but I thank my husband for his encouragement.”
Ayoade’s choice of teach­ing as a profession was made when she was quite young: “ I so much love teaching, not necessarily because my late mother was a teacher, but because of the fact that teachers are character moulders. I was also encouraged by the disci­pline with which my mother as a teacher brought us up. Before my degree programme at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, where I studied Nursery/Primary Education, I had also completed a teaching programme at the famous Bap­tist Women College, Idi-Aba between 1982 and 1985.
A project of such magnitude would discourage any average income salary earner in the public service but Ayoade said her decision to go ahead with the idea was buoyed by the wise saying, ‘where there is a will, there will always be a way’ which enabled her to save part of her salary as a Grade Level 12 teacher, because of her strong desire “to give something to my pupils as well as my state.”
She said the management of SUBEB was amazed that a teacher could do what she did and wondered whether she was an ex-pupil of the school. But she is not. Having showed a worthy example, Ayoade wants parents and other teachers to join hands with government to deliver education to children/wards in a way that would ensure that parents and teachers are not forgotten by posterity, stressing that whatever parents/teachers do today will consti­tute the history of tomorrow.
Speaking at the dedication of the classrom, a commissioner in the State Universal Basic Education Board, Chief Mrs. Magret Ogunpola, a retired teacher, commended the kind gesture of Ayoade.
While charging other teach­ers to emulate her, she recalled: “even as a teacher, I have never witnessed this kind of trail blazing effort by a teacher in the state, It is highly commend­able and motivational.”
Chairman of SUBEB, Chief Mufutau Ajibola expressed gratitude to Ayoade and confessed that he was over­whelmed by her gesture.
“I commend her interest in education, it shows that she is not only interested in teach­ing pupils, but also has their welfare at heart. This she has demonstrated with this self-help project which is worthy of emulation by all and sundry. It gladdens my heart that the clar­ion call of the state government for a public/private partnership is really working out well in the state. This event is an attestation that teachers too are not left out of this call. It is my hope that other teachers and organizations would emulate Ayoade’s gesture.”
A parent, Mrs. Adisa Kehin­de, said three of her children passed through Ayoade’s class, and described her as both a teacher and mother and noted: “She relates well with her pupils so much that they are always eager to be in school. As parents, we are appreciative of what she did and we will continue praying for her to succeed in life.”