Tell us in detail about the schools you attended from the most basic to the advance. You can include details such as Pictures of the school (if available) or any certificates obtained, location, your favorite teacher, classmate/course mate, your grades and some fun school activities you enjoyed.

MY SCHOOL HISTORY

It is my pleasure to share with you here the little history about my school days as much as I can remember because time and so many other activities has overtaken them all.

PRIMARY SCHOOL EDUCATION

I can only remember some few things that happened when I was in Primary 4. Let me start from there. The name of my School was Okpocha Primary School located in Amaekpu Ohafia Abia State Nigeria. The School is located within the village but on a queit environment. The colour of our School uniform was blue and white. Those days of Primary school I use to be a very shy person and you know in the village we speak vernacular language and it is only Igbo language. In the school we were taught English language and Mathematics, Geography, Christian Religious Knowledge, Fine Arts, History, Igbo and Literature. We were all instructed to always speak in English. That was one of the hardest things for me back then so since I cannot speak English fluently, I have to always keep my mouth shut and watch others.

There was this fateful day we were learning about Industries in Nigeria, the Teacher asked me to mention 1 of the industries he has just taught us. I wanted to say Brewery Industry I cannot know how to pronounce it correctly so a fellow male student whose parents were both Teachers infact the Mother was the Headmistress and he knows how to speak English. He was the one that bursted it out to the class that Esther said 'Nwurinwuri Industry'. Come and see laugh. They all started making jest of me. They nicknamed me for a while as 'Nwurinwuri Industry'.

On another occasion, I failed an assignment and the Teacher said he will flog me on my buttocks. I bluntly told him that I have never seen a girl being flogged on his buttocks then I ran away from the class. Being wiser than me, after his lesson he wanted to go to another class, he then called me to bring his chair for him to sit down there. I obediently carried the chair and as am just dropping the chair, he grabbed my hands. My people, I was just shouting. I think he did flogged me but as small and young as I was, he now said to me - look at you, you call yourself a big girl. It was not just funny because that day my class mates all laughed at me. Do you know that I usually go to school bare footed. No sandals or school shoe. During the sun when coming back, the sand will be so hot that it will be burning your feet. I was not the only one in that category. Only a few of my peers in Primary school wear school sandals. The day we were doing our graduation and taking pictures, I have to borrow a school sandal and stockings from my friend. The sandal am wearing in this picture does not belong to me, it was borrowed. All the same it was fun looking back now to those memories.

With my mates in Primary school (pointing green line)

During those school days, Teachers received a lot of respect and honour. One of my favourite Teacher was Mr. Mbila, he use to wear one dark eyeglass then and if he is coming everyone will run and the whole class will be quite. Infact it was as if he was an angel because at a point I thought he does not need to go to toilet because of how neat and well dressed he used to be. Can you imagine my childish thought?

SECONDARY SCHOOL EDUCATION

After my Primary school, I got admission to Umunnabua Technical College also in Ohafia but not in my own village. My parents prepared me to go and live in that village some miles away. They bought everything I will need to live in the school including a brand new Curtina Bata shoe and a pair of white stockings. My father did not want me to live inside the boarding house because he does not want me to get corrupted by peers whose lives were not worthy of God's moral standard. So he attached me with a fellow Christian brother living in that village whom he knew very well. But I did not live long there because I was always coming home every weekend feeling homesick. After my first year in that school, he worked my transfer to a nearby school in my village at Ohafia Girls Secondary School.

It was fun and filled with a lot of educational activities. I was a member of the Press and Quiz club. Sports was also part of my extra-curricular activities because I use to run 100 meters and re-lay race during our Inter-house-sports. I had many friends whom I still call and contact till date. One thing I never enjoyed was living inside the School Boarding house especially when we were at the final Class 5 for taking WAEC examination. All my friends lived in the Boarding house but my parents never agreed. I wanted to experience it but my parents knows best and did not allow it, so I ended the secondary school as a day student going to school from home.

After the Inter-house Sports

One subject I feared most was Mathematics. The Mathematics teacher then use to carry a very long cane and he knows how to flog and discipline especially those of us that were 'paper head' when it comes to Mathematics. May be his attitude towards us made it impossible for us to learn the subject because mere hearing that Mr. Kalu Ukpong was coming has put fears in all already. Only the brilliant ones then were his favourite and the School Prefects too. As for me, I never get closer to him because I don't understand Mathematics fully. How I wish the hand of the clock can be switched back and that opportunity given to me again, you will see me in action. What is MATHEMATICS that I will not pass and score high grades and love it? All the same the school was sweet. Sometimes I usually dream of myself in the old school days haahahahahaha. Imagine!.

When I graduated from Secondary School, I never had the opportunity to go to the University. It was still my father's mentality. He never wanted me to go far away from him. His friends were asking him to send me to Teacher's Training Institute in Umuahia or Afikpo all in Imo State then but he wanted me to be closer to him because he cherished high moral standard. That had been my guide up till today.

DIVINE EDUCATION

Now I am enjoying an education that can never be compared to any school you can think of today in the world, it is called Divine Education. Infact, there is no graduation from this school and the best aspect of it is that I am being trained alongside with my family. The school has 5 sessions in a week. I love it so much because it is a teaching organised by those who are faithful, discrete and loving.

Education is very very important because it will sharpen your thinking, way of life and you will learn a lot of skills. Everyone should at least have a basic education so that they can be able to handle their lives aright and become meaningful to the society at large.

My humble self today

Thank you very much SteamAlive Community and @focusnow for asking me to go back down memory line. I am fully refreshed back. I can remember only a few things now but this is not all that happened during those old good days. Thank you for reading to the end.

Cc:
@focusnow