By JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA

Prof. (Mrs) Mopelola Omoegun is the newly elected Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Lagos. A zealous educationist who began her profession as a primary school teacher, Prof.Omoegun rose from her humble beginning by virtue of her hardwork and ardent desire to be a success. She served as a Head of Department from 2004 to 2006 at the Faculty, and has also served as Chairman of the University of Lagos Counseling Centre Management Committee.

Prof.Omoegun started the Counseling Association of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, in 1993. On July 11, 2012, she would have her inaugural lecture at the Main Auditorium of the University of Lagos. Vista Woman was at her office recently. Enjoy!!

How do you feel about this new position?
My election was God’s own doing and I’m grateful to Him for His blessings. I did start my career as a primary school teacher in 1969 at Baptist Girls School in Lagos. I enjoy teaching because my main focus is helping people. I love children, and I enjoy talking to them. I believe this influenced my decision to study Counseling. When children enjoy my class and they’re happy, then I am happy as well!

People now believe the teaching profession to be a dumping ground for never-do-wells; in what way do you think this mentality could be changed?

Let me start by acknowledging the effort of my predecessor, the outgoing Dean. He started a programme which I quite appreciate and I’m going to work more on that. Only students who actually want to go into teaching should be given admission into the Faculty of Education. He started that by discussing with the Admission Officer of the university that students who chose education as their first or second choice should be given priority rather than allowing people who have failed to gain admission into other programmes to switch to education.

At the end of the day, many of such students try to cut corners while running the programme because they are not where they intended to be! As the Chairman of the Counseling Centre and of the Student Welfare Committee of the Faculty, I’m already organising seminars for students so that they do not consider themselves as being the dregs of the society.

There are actually a lot of opportunities in Education for people who are good at it, and that is what I am trying to expose them to. I’m also doing my best to encourage lecturers also. I also want to introduce mentoring in the system because most students in the university these days are very young. Therefore, they easily succumb to peer-pressure. They need to have people in the system they could look up to as their role models.

Prof. Omoegun

Let us deviate a little; how do you feel about the name change of the University of Lagos?
I’m not happy about it, and all alumni members are also not happy. The University of Lagos is 50 years old this year, and it is ridiculous to give it a different name at this time. Everyone who has also passed through the school is not happy! There is power in a name, and we know that people actually want to be associated with the University of Lagos because of its name.

What pressing problems do you see in our educational system?
The social rating of teachers is a huge problem in our society! That’s why so many are not happy to be identified as teachers. In other societies, teachers are well rated and well cared for! When teachers are not happy teaching, we cannot get good results. They’re already trying to professionalise teaching, and I believe that will address most of the problems we’re having. Some private schools send teachers away at any point because they can easily replace them, but when teaching is actually professionalised, people who are not qualified will no longer be allowed to teach.

The professionalisation is already in process, and this would help get rid of quacks. Parents are part of the problems as well. The way they address and challenge teachers in the presence of their kids does not allow some children to respect their teachers. Such parents even end up engaging their child in exam malpractice by helping them pay their way through.

This weakens the rating of teachers. We actually have so many problems confronting the educational system, and I will say that everybody is responsible for the fallen standards. We should all go back to the drawing board before we start pointing fingers. Things will get better if we all accept our responsibilities as parents, teachers, students and governments.

But what is the hope of an industrious student in a situation where some teachers make bribery the criteria for promoting students?

I believe there is still hope for those who are hardworking. Without giving money to anybody, if you’re good, you stand the chance of doing well! When people learn to stop giving money, teachers will learn to stop relying on bribes. I believe in hardwork, and my students who work hard get good results. We encourage students to report lecturers who ask them for money, and if they are ready to back their claims with evidence, we would deal with such lecturers.

If universities learn to take adequate measures like the use of suggestion boxes as well, the trend will reduce drastically if not eradicated. I tell people, the salary they pay us in the university is sufficient for any lecturer to live well and not harass their students for any purpose.

I understand every school must have counselors; what are these counselors doing about the increasing moral decadence in our institutions of learning?

We’re supposed to have counselors, but the truth is that we do not have enough counselors. Ideally, it is supposed to be about 300 or 350 students to one counselor. Rather, we find schools with over a thousand students having just one counselor, and sometimes, the counselors are asked to teach. I’ve always advocated that counselors be allowed to face the job which they have been trained to do. In some schools, you have Vice Principals or Principals who are envious of their counselors, and who even deprive them the right of owning a whole office to themselves.

They question why parents go to see the counselors and not them. Maybe they think the parents go to give money to the counselors. It is so stated in the National Policy of Education that in view of the apparent ignorance of many young people in their career prospects, and in view of personality maladjustment among school children, career masters and counselors should be appointed in all post primary institutions in Nigeria. But where are the counselors? That’s why we’re having all the problems we’re having amongst students in our institutions. Counselors apply psychology and they know how to set people in the right direction if they find them derailing.

What innovations do you intend bringing into the Faculty of Education as the new elected Dean?
I’m looking at innovations that will elevate the morale of staff and students. The welfare of both staff and students is paramount to me because I believe that when they are happy, things will move on well. Environmental beautification will also be a priority.

I want to ensure we have good lecture rooms, including our Education Hall. Maybe I have a soft spot for our Education Hall because that was where I had my wedding reception in 1975. I want to restore the first-class image the hall had. I also want to work towards having a new building for the Faculty. In all, I want my students to be proud of being in the Faculty of Education.