Sixty-one-year-old grandma, Mrs. Helen Odeba, tells
GBENGA ADENIJI why she decided to attend secondary
school at her age
Which state are you from?
I am from Kogi State.
How many children do you have?
I have nine children; four girls and five boys. Some of
them have married. I have seven grandchildren.
Did any of your children go to higher institution?
Yes, some of them did. My eldest son and one of my
female children studied at the Kaduna Polytechnic. They
obtained diplomas there. One of my sons is a corps
member. He studied at the Kogi State University.
Another female child is currently at the Plateau State
Polytechnic.
Have you ever attended any school?
Yes, I finished primary education before I got married.
When I got married, I stopped my education but I always
wanted to return to school.
What have you been doing since you got married?
I have been a housewife.
Why did you decide to return to secondary school at
your age?
I want to learn new things. I miss my years in primary
school as a child when I learnt many things. I felt that I
could learn more now that I have given birth to children.
I am now able to concentrate on the future. This made
me enrol at the Government Secondary School, Gonin
Gora, Kaduna State. I started from the junior class.
What class are you?
I am in senior secondary two; commercial class.
Did your husband and children support your decision to
return to school?
They did when I told them it was what I desired to do.
What does your husband do?
He works as a security man at the Kaduna Polytechnic.
How do you relate with your classmates?
We relate well. We joke, chat and study together. I have
a seat mate, Justina, who I disturb a lot to explain
topics that I do not understand to me.
Which subjects do you like most?
I like Mathematics and English. I always perform better
in the two subjects than I do in others.
How do you feel learning with younger classmates?
I always feel happy. It is fun learning with them. There
is no shame since I know why I returned to school.
How do you combine taking care of your home and
studying?
I try to plan everything well. I cook and take care of the
home on time. I also find time to read what I learn in
school daily. There is no day I do not revise what I was
taught in school.
What do you intend to do with the secondary school
result?
I want to open a shop after I finish with secondary
school. I will know how to calculate money, talk to
customers and give them their change.
Do you intend to go to university after your secondary
education?
I am not sure that I want to do that.
What do your friends tell you?
Many of them do not support me. They keep telling me
that I am wasting my time going to school at my age. I
do not think I am wasting my time. I think I am doing
what is right because no one is too old to learn. I wish
they could join me to learn.
How do your classmates address you?
Everyone in the school calls me, ‘mama’ including my
teacher. I only smile because I know it is a way of
showing me respect. I respect all of them too.
What are some of the challenges you are facing as an
adult pupil?
I take care of the home apart from going to school. Most
times, I find it hard to cope. Also, I attend school
regularly but sometimes, I may not have transport fare
to go to school. There are also times that I do not
understand some of the things that a teacher is
teaching. I always try to meet my mates to teach me or
meet the teacher to explain. The teachers are nice. They
give me attention whenever I ask questions.
Mama is eager to learn — Class teacher
What is your name?
I am Saifullahi Adamu Bawa.
What do you do?
I am a mathematics teacher. I teach at the Government
Secondary School, Gonin Gora, Kaduna State. I teach all
the pupils in the senior class mathematics.
In your class, you have a 61-year-old pupil, how did
she become one of your pupils?
She was in the school before I came. I was employed
last year. She started JSS1 in the school. I am the class
teacher for her class; SS2 (Commercial).
Did you ask the school authorities any questions when
you saw a mature pupil like her in the class you were
meant to be its class teacher?
No. I was just amazed. I really liked it. Most times, I tell
other subject teachers to give her full attention
whenever they are in her class.
What can you say about her?
What I can say about her is that she is coping very well
despite her age. She always disturbs her seat mate to
learn new things or for her to explain anything she does
not understand to her. She wants to know it all. She
never comes late to school. She is very respectful. In
fact, she calls me ‘sir ‘ or sometimes ‘uncle.’
What do you find most interesting about her as a pupil
despite her age?
It is her zeal and passion to learn. She is very
committed to learning. She is really inquisitive.
What experience did you have with her while teaching
her class that remains memorable?
mama-and-teacher
Mama with her teacher, Bawa
She is always attentive. She has never for once
offended me or anyone in the school to the best of my
knowledge. The passion to learn is there. Teaching a
class with a grandma, I have also learnt to maintain my
dignity. There were times she would ask questions out
of context. In those moments, I would say, ‘mama,
please meet me in the staff room.’ But she would plead
and tell me not to be offended.
Is she popular in the school?
Everyone in the school knows her.
What is her performance like in class assignments and
tests?
It is below average but better than how I met her.
For how many months have you been teaching her?
I have taught her class for three terms; a session.
How has her presence motivated other younger pupils
to learn?
It has made most of her classmates and schoolmates
not to score low marks. There is a competition to do
better because it is a motivation seeing a grandmother
performing better than young pupils. Besides, most of
her classmates get jealous when she scores a mark
higher than theirs. Hence, no one wants to be below her
in the class.
Did she tell you why she wants to complete secondary
education?
Yes, she told me that she would open a shop after the
completion of her secondary education. She wants to
know how to communicate with her customers, be
courteous to them and how to calculate money well.
Do you think she is doing enough academically to
achieve the goals?
Yes, like I said earlier, she is trying hard. But I think she
needs to work harder. I tried to convince her to proceed
beyond secondary education but she refused. She said
she would stop after the completion of secondary
education.
What do you think are some of her challenges?
I think part of it is lack of motivation from those close to
her. We try our best in the school to motivate and
encourage her.
Has any of her children ever visited her in school?
I have never seen any of them since I joined the school.
How do her classmates relate with her?
They relate with her as a grandmother, mother and
classmate. They play and joke about many things
together.
How does she react when she gets a low mark?
She feels bad.
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