A Discussion with Sister Philomina Ifeoma Emelife, Assistant Director, Divine Mercy Primary School, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
With: Philomina Ifeoma Emelife Berkley Center Profile
July 23, 2014
Background: In July 2014, as part of the Education
and Social Justice Project, undergraduate student Hopey Fink interviewed Sister
Philomina Ifeoma Emelife, a member of the Nigerian religious congregation
Sisters of Divine Mercy and assistant director of the Divine Mercy Primary
school in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. In this interview, Emelife discusses the
history of the congregation and the school, the primary school system in West
Africa, and the role of parents in children’s education.
How many students are enrolled in total?
One hundred twenty by September.
How many of them are Burkinabe?
I don’t really know! But I know that a good number of them are.
What is your role here, your title?
I just came a year ago, and I have only been in this office for the last few days. I have been assisting my sister here as assistant headmistress, then trying to teach primary five, the exam class. That is what I was doing before; it kind of changes.
Could you talk about the founding of the school—when it started, why?
I cannot say exactly, but I will try to recall. It was because most of the Nigerians here come for business or other work, but have their children in Nigeria because they want them to attend English school. There is no standard English school here. The two schools we have here are not our own… Families found it difficult for husband and wife to live apart. So when they told the priest of their problems he called us because we are a Nigerian congregation…we are precisely the Missionary Sisters of the Divine Mercy.
How do you advertise or spread the word—how do people find out about the school?
We do not advertise much actually. But when they see the performance of the children outside they bring them.
When was the order founded?
In 2003. We had our tenth anniversary last year…it was started in Nigeria. We were asked to come here first by an Anglophone priest, and then the diocese—the cardinal—approved.
How long have you been a sister?
Five years…before I came to Burkina Faso, I managed a school in Nigeria. I was the headmistress of the primary school.
Have you always been interested in primary education? What draws you to working with children?
Exactly...seeing the tiny minds…there is a philosophy that we have in Nigeria that says, “Catch them young.” Understanding that most of the parents in the schools have work, we see that many parents do not have time for their children. I enjoy when I see the young, trying to form those little minds, trying to educate them, that is what draws me. Also, I like working with young boys. I prefer working with maybe teenagers, since their parents do not have time for them…trying to communicate to them knowledge and values. I am trying to educate the parents also that they should have time for them.
Do you find that here in this setting the parents are interested in learning or hearing what you have to say?
Many are not even interested in helping their children—I would say up to 75 percent. They’re just business, or work, or whatever…I try to invite them to come to school and listen to how the child is doing or to meet with me about their performance, but some of them just say, “Do whatever you want.” Which is not good…we do have meetings with parents, especially as the children are testing. Those who are not promoted, we have them repeat the class to make sure their level is good.
How often does that happen?
It is rare. Because we try to enlighten the parents to what is happening—“Maybe you should pay special attention.”—we try to do our best. If there is still no improvement with special help then we have to hold the child back.
Do you use a certain pedagogy or methods for teaching? It seems to me that the children are advanced for the ages they are.
Yes, we have methods. They are from Nigeria. In Nigeria, parents often come up to us in a panic that their child is not writing, but we tell them that it is not the level of the child. The cognitive domains are not even developed to write, but the mother wants them to do it. So sometimes we try to balance between what they expect and also the normal thing to do.
Do you find that most students here come from families that are middle class or well off?
Yes, a good number of them come from the middle class, some, also, lower class. We try to balance it. Some cannot even pay the school fees. But they want their children to get the best. So we try to see how we can help. We find that sometimes people start their payments and are not able to complete them; it is giving us a kind of problem. We try to see if it is someone reliable, so we are lenient, but we find that it is a problem we are still trying to know how to handle.
Does your funding come from the diocese?
No, funding does not come from diocese, just from school fees. There are eight sisters currently, but we want more help. We are trying to employ people as well, but it is difficult to find Burkinabe who can teach in an English school. Sisters do not generally learn English—you can find men who know English, but they are not generally good with little kids. They cannot be patient enough! You have to be patient; if not, you cannot teach!
Do you have an equal number of boys and girls enrolled?
No, I do not think so. In my last class, I had about ten boys and five girls.
One hundred twenty by September.
How many of them are Burkinabe?
I don’t really know! But I know that a good number of them are.
What is your role here, your title?
I just came a year ago, and I have only been in this office for the last few days. I have been assisting my sister here as assistant headmistress, then trying to teach primary five, the exam class. That is what I was doing before; it kind of changes.
Could you talk about the founding of the school—when it started, why?
I cannot say exactly, but I will try to recall. It was because most of the Nigerians here come for business or other work, but have their children in Nigeria because they want them to attend English school. There is no standard English school here. The two schools we have here are not our own… Families found it difficult for husband and wife to live apart. So when they told the priest of their problems he called us because we are a Nigerian congregation…we are precisely the Missionary Sisters of the Divine Mercy.
How do you advertise or spread the word—how do people find out about the school?
We do not advertise much actually. But when they see the performance of the children outside they bring them.
When was the order founded?
In 2003. We had our tenth anniversary last year…it was started in Nigeria. We were asked to come here first by an Anglophone priest, and then the diocese—the cardinal—approved.
How long have you been a sister?
Five years…before I came to Burkina Faso, I managed a school in Nigeria. I was the headmistress of the primary school.
Have you always been interested in primary education? What draws you to working with children?
Exactly...seeing the tiny minds…there is a philosophy that we have in Nigeria that says, “Catch them young.” Understanding that most of the parents in the schools have work, we see that many parents do not have time for their children. I enjoy when I see the young, trying to form those little minds, trying to educate them, that is what draws me. Also, I like working with young boys. I prefer working with maybe teenagers, since their parents do not have time for them…trying to communicate to them knowledge and values. I am trying to educate the parents also that they should have time for them.
Do you find that here in this setting the parents are interested in learning or hearing what you have to say?
Many are not even interested in helping their children—I would say up to 75 percent. They’re just business, or work, or whatever…I try to invite them to come to school and listen to how the child is doing or to meet with me about their performance, but some of them just say, “Do whatever you want.” Which is not good…we do have meetings with parents, especially as the children are testing. Those who are not promoted, we have them repeat the class to make sure their level is good.
How often does that happen?
It is rare. Because we try to enlighten the parents to what is happening—“Maybe you should pay special attention.”—we try to do our best. If there is still no improvement with special help then we have to hold the child back.
Do you use a certain pedagogy or methods for teaching? It seems to me that the children are advanced for the ages they are.
Yes, we have methods. They are from Nigeria. In Nigeria, parents often come up to us in a panic that their child is not writing, but we tell them that it is not the level of the child. The cognitive domains are not even developed to write, but the mother wants them to do it. So sometimes we try to balance between what they expect and also the normal thing to do.
Do you find that most students here come from families that are middle class or well off?
Yes, a good number of them come from the middle class, some, also, lower class. We try to balance it. Some cannot even pay the school fees. But they want their children to get the best. So we try to see how we can help. We find that sometimes people start their payments and are not able to complete them; it is giving us a kind of problem. We try to see if it is someone reliable, so we are lenient, but we find that it is a problem we are still trying to know how to handle.
Does your funding come from the diocese?
No, funding does not come from diocese, just from school fees. There are eight sisters currently, but we want more help. We are trying to employ people as well, but it is difficult to find Burkinabe who can teach in an English school. Sisters do not generally learn English—you can find men who know English, but they are not generally good with little kids. They cannot be patient enough! You have to be patient; if not, you cannot teach!
Do you have an equal number of boys and girls enrolled?
No, I do not think so. In my last class, I had about ten boys and five girls.
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