Psalm119

Strongly believing that good education will promote the success of any nation and running along with a clearly stated vision of building up future shakers of the world who will amend what has gone wrong in this generation, UtterMost Kiddies Nursery and Primary School continues to enjoy positive remarks and public adulation for bringing up children in a way that pleases God and an atmosphere of love, peace and unity that the staff never want to leave.

Originally established as a Daycare center in 2006, nursing babies for 3 months, then hosting free holiday coaching classes and ultimately blossoming into one of the best foundational schools in Lagos state, UtterMost Nursery and Primary School, situated within the Ishaga axis of Ifako Ijaiye, is owned and operated by Mrs. Owoyemi Tola, an educationist who preaches cordiality between teachers and pupils, along with emphasizing how passion for the noble profession ought to outweigh any monetary gain.

Speaking with the Proprietress, Mrs. Owoyemi Tola; Headmistress, Mrs. Ndibe; Administrator, Mrs. Akhigbe, a teacher, Mrs. Morgan and Ololade Ogunbiyi, a basic 6 pupil in a most familial atmosphere, Godspowerproject discovers amazing facts, unusual educational concepts, remarkable relationships plus success secrets amidst other factors that has contributed to the continuous growth of UtterMost Kiddies Nursery and Primary School for the past 14 years.


GPP- What learning methods and materials have you been engaging to make UtterMost Kiddies outstanding?

Proprietress-Mrs. Owoyemi Tola-
We are not really into. Montessori method because it’s a foreign method but we have qualified teachers who teach them wonderfully. We have all the government approved subjects and some extras like the Cultural and Creative Arts, CCA. We have a Diction teacher who sometimes organizes programs which has added to their interests of study and I remember summer coaching we had parents who commended the way their children were twisting tongues while speaking and gave kudos to their teacher.

Mrs. Ndibe (HM)
We have an engaging and interesting school calendar also, which includes social hour on Fridays and career day, interactive class quiz, cultural day, excursions and end of the term Party spread across every school year. Some have interest in Fine Arts and by their performance during practical, you'll see that they've started gaining interests in those areas. Same thing applies to Home Economics practicals. That is the reason we need to start building them from the scratch.



GPP- How about Public Awards and External Recognitions?

Mrs. Ndibe (HM)- we have not been going for external competitions but we are confident of success if we decide to.

Mrs. Owoyemi (Proprietress)- Two parents testified about their children participating in external exams and how they won scholarships with their performance leading to questions arising about their former school. Our school is not that popular yet and just last term, one of our teachers daughter performed excellently to win a Golden Penny Scholarship. She started with us and now Golden Penny will be paying her school fees down to tertiary level. Two other parents, one Adedapo whose children went for external exams in Federal schools and keep scoring overall best in Mathematics every session and many others like that. Anytime we have summer coaching, new parents will bring their children here to try the school and by resumption, we see them coming in and bringing others, testifying that their children performed well during the summer coaching. Even this new term was so wonderful. During lockdown that we thought things will be so hard for us, God has been so wonderful.


GPP- Are there scholarship projects in place?

Mrs. Owoyemi (Proprietress) Not really, but we have some pupils who enjoy preferential treatment. Like someone who lost the father and we understand how the workload falls on the mother. So we deduct from the fees or those with 3 children but pay the fees of 2. Same thing applies with our teachers.


GPP- What is your concept of good education and how do you achieve that?

Mrs. Owoyemi (Proprietress) Good education will promote the success of any nation, without good education it will tell on the child in future because such child will not be able to compete with peers. You start tomorrow from today. When the foundation is good, whatever you're putting on it will be solid. And as an educationist or someone who has studied education, the relationship between teachers and pupils should be very cordial. A teacher needs to study their pupils, know everything about them. It’s not the work of parents alone, once they get to school our own role as teachers need to be executed well, in terms of knowing about their welfare, health status. It’s not only about teaching and learning alone. You have to be their friends to the extent that even when they get home, they’ll have your love in their hearts- even more than their parents own. An example was when I was still teaching, we were on the assembly one day and I sighted a girl. From her look I knew that wasn't her usual disposition. Immediately I took her to the HM’s office and began to question her, when I observed her lips were already dry and turning white. Then I asked her what's wrong with you? Supposing I had not acted fast, she might have slumped. We immediately called the mother and the girl was taken to the hospital for treatment and they were thanking us eventually. So as a teacher, you need to have a close relationship with your pupils.


GPP- What unusual and unpopular facts can you discuss about UtterMost Nursery and Primary School? Including plans for expansion.

Mrs. Owoyemi (Proprietress)- Asides series of testimonies from our past pupils and parents about the hard work of our good teachers, including the wonderful HM here, who we started the school together, one thing we know for sure is that our fees are not exorbitant. We want a situation whereby parents that are not financially alright will also gain from what other class of parents gain, so we make the school fees very affordable. And for now, we have no plans for expansion because it's not easy before meeting up with other things. Salaries are paid before 30th and we don't owe despite all that we are facing, including renovations and other expenses. If you want the teachers to deliver, you have to make them comfortable.


GPP- To what do you attribute the success of UtterMost Nursery and Primary School?

Mrs. Ndibe (HM)- I was once a teacher before being moved to the office of the Headmistress in 2011, and I can proudly tell you that the way we run this school is quite different from other private schools. We work under the fear of God, in terms of love, peace and unity, so to run the school as headmistress is as easy as anything. Though there are rules and regulations guiding the school but because of the hovering fear of God, the applications of the rules and regulations don't get to come up.

Mrs. Owoyemi (Proprietress)- to God alone be all the glory and after God, I give kudos to my husband, because for any successful woman or man, there must be a backbone. Anytime I get tired of it as I sometimes do, he will keep on encouraging me. Financially, morally, he has been there for me and for that, I give kudos to him. It is God that has been sustaining this my passion but at the same time, He used my husband to be a blessing.


GPP- What has your experience working here been like?

Mrs. Ndibe (HM)- the relationship between everyone here in this school is very cordial. Being the headmistress and staff, we understand each other so well that we don't have any grudges or quarrels with each other. Everyone takes instructions as it's put to them and everything goes smoothly. Our love for the children makes us bond together. We teach well and deliver the best as if we are taking care of our own children. My experience working here is lovely and smooth that I don't wish to leave here soon but I know when the time comes that God wants to make a change, it must surely happen but me personally love to work here.

Mrs. Morgan (Teacher)- working at UtterMost for the past 10 years has been a wonderful experience. As we all know that teachers are leaders and mind builders who train children to become greater persons in future. Here I get to meet a lot of pupils, the slow learners, fast learners and other interesting types. So it takes patience to really bring out the best in any child. Working here has made me meet different types of children from different backgrounds and its encouraging to meet a child and at the end of the day, the child comes out with good performance. From Primary 1 to 6, we have excellent results and one of my most memorable experience was in 2018/19, where the best graduating pupils were so wonderful and the graduation ceremony that year was so great and the graduating pupils of that year were very remarkable. I can't begin to mention, we simply bring out the best.


GPP- How do you deal with a child with a challenge?

Mrs. Morgan (Teacher)- it takes a lot of patience and courage. There are times you feel like giving up but as teachers we are trained for that. First thing to do is be patient and understand that child. Once that's done, find out the areas of challenge, of which most of them is their background. You know we some illiterate parents and the way they communicate with their children at home affects their learning when they come to school. At the end of the day, patience pays off and the children begin to pickup and bring out the best in themselves to God's glory.


GPP- How do you deal with odd parents?

Mrs. Ndibe (HM)- I won't say they're not here, but it has to do with that love again. Even if they try to prove what is not, just still love them, take it easy and be patient with them. Here in UtterMost Nursery and Primary, our teachers work extra hard and there is no differentiation between pupils, except when discovering their abilities individually. Private schools don't repeat or retake classes but we do here. Some parents agree, others don't, but I tell them to forget about the money and secure the child's future today. Like the case of a parent I advised to allow her son retake a class so he can understand properly but she refused and even took the child away to another school but later brought him back after discovering here at UtterMost was her best option. And when she came back, I told her plainly “Madam, your child has to repeat or you are already out, you can go” that was when she finally accepted. Some parents are always holding on to their children till they're overmature. But it remains our job to speak the truth. Our parents don't change school, they give birth, enrol the babies here and finish the whole nine years here. Before a child leaves this school, it's God's miracle and teachers hard work that makes the child very good when graduating.

Mrs. Akhigbe (Administrator)- odd parents are everywhere. You know this is a private school and as such we dance to their tune. Some of them are out of this world, especially when it comes to paying of school fees and you send their children home, you are in trouble. But we ask for wisdom of God in dealing with them.


GPP- How well do you know your children and their personal ambitions?

Mrs. Ndibe (HM)- (smiling) Children are different from each other, we have many of them Sule Joy, Favor Akhigbe, Nwachukwu Chibuike, Uju Anyanwu, the ones that have really matured and gone out. It's towards the end of their journey that you see the buds they're shooting forth. When you ask Nwachukwu Chibuike what he wants to be in future, “I want to be a Doctor”, ask him tomorrow and next session, its always Doctor, he never changes his mind. Favor Akhigbe is “I want to be a Banker”, even in two years to come. We do ask the pupils and find out they excel in subjects related to their interests. If they want to be, they are good in everything and the ones that are yet to be good continue to enjoy our focus that they'll be good sooner rather than later.


GPP- Who are you, what do you tell people outside about your school and what do you want to be in future?

Ololade Ogunbiyi (Basic 6 pupil)- My name is Ololade Ogunbiyi and I'm in basic 6. I joined UtterMost Nursery and Primary School in Playgroup and I like my school. I tell people outside to come to my school and they'll like it. Today I learned how to take care of my surroundings. When I grow up, I want to be an Engineer.


GPP- If not Education, what would you be doing? And message to generality?

Mrs. Owoyemi (Proprietress)- if not education, I would like to be a businesswoman. I tell parents who ask me how do I cope, that the money I put into this school, if I rent a shop, I'll cross my legs. I don't have any child again to pay school fees or feed, all my children are grown ups. But if you have the passion for this noble profession, you'll put all your efforts in it. Everything is not about money, we have people who establish schools for money but people should let that passion lead and let's contribute to the success of these children whether their parents are rich or not. Let's bring them up in a way that pleases God.


Mrs. Morgan (Teacher)- I really like education, I like children and bringing out the best in them. In fact they know me here in school, you must learn and I put it to them because I like children a lot.


Mrs. Akhigbe (Administrator)- I see myself owning my own school or doing some other business, but where else would I be if not UtterMost Nursery and Primary School.

Mrs. Ndibe (HM)- we have good children here for a better future in this country by the grace of God, and Mummy Owoyemi is so wonderful that I can't begin to express how different she is from other school proprietresses. The love that we see and receive from her is what we project on the school and pupils. Even the odd and stubborn parents will still not leave here or they end up coming back. I'm from the East and I've told myself that as long as I'm still in Lagos, this is where I'll be, until the day I say bye-bye to Western region. Because when you're in a good place, why are you looking elsewhere, except God makes that change by Himself. But as for me currently, UtterMost Nursery and Primary School is the place to be!

Education that governments have done nothing about in decades

Are we still waiting on government for anything in this country?