Take a Peek into a Nigerian Preschool

Hello Fellow Changemaker!

How was your new year??Welcome to the third Newsletter of Impact the Child!

I have had time to continue to think through culturally relevant, high standards of early education in the 50+ nations that represent Sub-Saharan Africa.?

For this edition of the ITC Newsletter I have the first profile from a preschool in Lagos, Nigeria. Hurray! I trust that you'd like to know what the landscape of early years looks like in the most populous African nation. What are your expectations I wonder? Before you read through please bear in mind that there are tens of thousands of preschools in Nigeria (formal and informal) and this is only one. Perspective is always important:)).

However, I realize that I have to start somewhere and today it’s Lagos, Nigeria. A special shout out and sincere thanks to Mrs Noyen Emafo for dedicating her time to the interview. It was such a good session!

Why Parents Choose This Preschool

Lekki Montessori School is a well established preschool with an elementary school as part of the services offered to parents. Careful time and attention to detail has been taken to set up the preschool programme and there is a sustained and proven method for the success of students in attendance.

The Montessori ethos is the chosen methodology and the owner is an Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)? qualified Montessori Directress. She co-owns the AMI Training Centre (Montessori Study Centre) in Nigeria. The approach has been culturally adapted and Mrs Emafo was very clear on the Pure Montessori philosophy. The training Centre is licensed to train Montessori teachers which is an added benefit, ensuring that staff know how to deliver the curriculum to a high standard.

?There is documented data of children completing their time at the preschool, transferring to other schools and performing excellently, taking top places in those environments. This is not just academic excellence, but also distinction in terms of social and emotional development and responsible behaviour. Something that makes both parents and children very proud and provides families with an opportunity to spread the word about the success of their children.

?Within the preschool there is a typical Montessori-style mixed age group (vertical age grouping) and this lends itself to children becoming more independent and orderly while taking responsibility within their own environment. The resources and facilities are second to none. The success of the school is clear. Happy parents and families share the good news once they experience the improved ability and behaviour of their children, this has been Mrs Emafo's method of advertising since 2002.??

Corporate Social Responsibility?

Although the annual fees are relatively high, Mrs Emafo has taken it? upon herself to support children and families in lower income communities. The Training Centre offers free training to parents and teachers in lower income communities, thereby supporting children who ordinarily would not have access to high quality standards of early education.?

In an Ideal World…

I asked Mrs Emafo what her dreams and further vision is for the school. As a visionary she is not resting on her laurels. I also asked about challenges (every school owner has them!).

1. Mrs? Emafo would like to do more to reach children with limited or no access to high quality preschool education. One of the challenges is having insufficient funds to expand and construct a purpose-built Montessori school. A school that she can truly call her own rather than incurring annual expenses of rent. The creation of such a school would lead to reduced school fees and allow children from lower income communities to attend.
2. In terms of challenges Mrs Emafo mentioned parental engagement. Parents require careful attention. She spends time nurturing and educating parents, to make sure that they are on board with all that is happening in the school.? For all early education leaders you will agree that for any high quality provision, effective engagement with parents is a must.?No surprises there.

Conclusion

During the interview with Mrs Emafo it was refreshing to listen to her passion. Not just for the children in her well-run establishment, but also for children in lower income communities. She is definitely an all rounder and these values are aligned to the vision of Impact the Child. A warm thanks to Mrs Emafo for her time and commitment to young learners in Lagos, Nigeria. Website for further details - Lekki Montessori School.??

If you own a preschool in Sub-Saharan Africa and would like to be featured in the Newsletter, I'd really like to hear from you. Simply email me at: [email protected]?

Resources for January 2023

In this Newsletter, I promised to share valuable and well-researched resources with early educators in Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. Please see below.

1. Trauma Informed Care. Trauma research is topical for me at the moment. I have just started reading a good book entitled ‘Toxic Childhood Stress; The Legacy of Early Trauma and How to Heal’ | Dr. Nadine Burke Harris.?

• This book ‘offers a set of tools to understand and accept past trauma, break the cycle and, crucially learn how to heal’. It considers the widespread crisis of childhood adversity. I believe that this topic will become increasingly important for all early educators as well as parents of young learners. The pandemic has raised a considerable amount of awareness about trauma in childhood. Here’s a (non-affiliate) link if you are interested to learn more -? ‘Toxic Childhood Stress’ Kindle.
• Still on the same topic of trauma - The National (USA) Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has a few resources that will be a helpful start if you are new to this area of work. NAEYC link - https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pd/online-learning/resource-library-trauma

2. Here is another resource for the week from my parent company, Professional Minds - Curriculum Guide.

That's all for this week. Thanks for reading!

P.S. If you are an early education leader in Sub-Saharan Africa and interested in collaborating with me, the invitation remains open to subscribe and join the Impact the Child tribe!?

Subscribe here!

Please email me if you have any questions - [email protected]

Best wishes,

Patricia Mezu M.A.Ed. | In Service of Young Learners