Ogun Teacher, Mrs Bolanle Oniya, Retires After 35 Years of Meritorious Service
A veteran primary school teacher in Ogun State, Mrs Bolanle Oniya, today officially retires from the Ogun State Basic Education Board after 35 years of meritorious and dedicated service to the teaching profession.
The symbolic “Pen Down and Retirement” ceremony is being held at FOMWAN Nursery and Primary School, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, by 11:00 a.m., with fellow teachers, friends, family members and other invited guests gathered to celebrate a life spent in service to education and humanity.
Mrs Oniya joined the teaching profession in 1991 after graduating from the Teachers Training College, Sagamu. From her first day in the classroom, she embraced teaching not just as a career, but as a calling—one that demanded patience, sacrifice, resilience and unwavering commitment to shaping young minds.
She later attended college of education and obtained Nigeria Certificate in Education, NCE, which enabled her to be professionally qualified as a registered teacher, and be more skillful in teaching.
Guided by the biblical injunction, “He that endureth to the end shall be saved,” Mrs Oniya witnessed and endured the numerous challenges that have characterised the teaching profession in Nigeria over the decades.
One of the most trying periods of her career was during the military era of the late General Sani Abacha, when teachers were owed salaries for several months. That difficult phase forced many educators out of the profession, but Mrs Oniya remained steadfast, choosing to endure with the inner consolation that she was moulding pupils who would become the leaders of tomorrow
.
Throughout her career, she contributed in no small measure to the development of human resources across all sectors of the nation. As she often reflects, everyone—whether in science, commercial or arts disciplines—passes through primary education before progressing in life.
There is hardly any profession or trade, from accountant, lawyer, pilot, soldier, banker, police officer, journalist, teacher and technocrat to mechanic or successful artisan, that does not begin with basic education.
By this logic, Mrs Oniya can confidently say she belongs to the noble profession that teaches everyone who eventually becomes a governor or president, senator or local government councillor, union leader or royal father.
Today, many of her former pupils are found across formal and informal sectors, within and outside Nigeria, using the foundation she imparted in primary school to earn a living and succeed in life.
While she may not be able to ascertain the number of states or countries where her former pupils are making meaningful impacts, nor the countless professions and trades they now represent, she humbly acknowledges that teachers are leaders who shape destinies quietly but profoundly. She takes pride in having taught many people the basic knowledge and values they needed to build better lives.
After 35 years of moulding minds, shaping character and building futures, Mrs Bolanle Oniya now bows out of active service—ready to enjoy the fruits of her labour and the enduring legacy of a life well spent in the classroom.
SHARE THIS: Please share this story on your various social media platforms.
No comments:
Post a Comment
150