If you are thinking of sending your child to private school in Africa, you are not alone.

As more African parents abroad are opting to send their children back to Africa to be educated, Reconnect Africa speaks to Funke Ogunshola about the challenges involved and how her new organisation is providing support with the process.

ReConnect Africa (RCA): What was the rationale behind setting up Prime Education Services?

Funke Ogunshola: : Prime Education Services was set up as a result of the first-hand experience my family and friends had when we decided to send our children to schools in Nigeria and Ghana.

The decision to send the children to Nigeria and Ghana was not taken lightly and there have been no regrets!

The children have returned to further their education with a very proactive attitude to learning, belief that they are achievers, an understanding of their ethnic roots and a passion for their countries of heritage.

The challenges we faced when we took the decision to send them abroad ranged from obtaining information about the schools and their procedures to getting our children to take the entrance examinations and led to the birth of Prime Education Services.

RCA: What are the key issues that African parents abroad face when trying to find schools in their countries of origin?

Funke Ogunshola: Key issues that are of concern to parents include lack of adequate knowledge about the education sector in the country, curriculum, standards and performance factors in schools, security, family presence, pastoral care and further education thereon.

Prime Education has acquired the expertise to deal with various issues and alleviate parents’ concerns when trying to find schools. These are some of the factors that also led to the company’s establishment.

RCA: Have you seen a significant increase in the number of parents who would like their children educated in Africa and what are the key reasons?

Funke Ogunshola: The feedback Prime Education constantly receives suggests an increase in the number of parents who would like to have their children educated in Africa.

Various reasons have been attributed to this but a few are the need for the children to have a positive and competitive attitude to learning; values and discipline; for the children to have an authentic experience and understanding of their heritage and culture; a true sense of belonging; the desire to aspire and achieve; and the falling standards in UK state schools.

RCA: In your experience, what are the benefits of sending children abroad for education?

Funke Ogunshola: A lot of private schools abroad are of excellent quality and standard, quite comparable to what is available in the UK in terms of curriculum, teaching standard, facilities and pastoral care.

The children acquire a very good and solid approach to learning, values and discipline from the schools. Quite often, they also have a sense of belonging and peace within themselves. Any negative feelings they might have had before going abroad, due to media reports, are quickly dispelled.

Adaptability to different situations is an immense benefit that is often overlooked. The children learn to adapt, understand and handle different mindsets, societal values and responsibilities that schooling abroad exposes them to. Some of our children have been over ‘cotton wool-ed’ and brought up to believe that the world is about the way of life in the west; but with globalization and increased economic migration, the need for our children to be adaptable and make the most of the situation they find themselves in to their own advantage is very important as this adaptability will stand them in good stead in their adult lives, wherever they may choose to live and work.

Various excursions organized by the schools within the country and immediate region also help to broaden their geographical, cultural and historical knowledge.

Prime Education is helping parents make an informed choice; to give their children a balanced and well rounded development in their formative years, and the best of both worlds.

RCA: What are some of the problems that can arise in seeking to educate a child abroad, whether in Africa or in the UK?

Funke Ogunshola: Some of the problems that can arise include lack of knowledge about the education system, curriculum and standards, pastoral care and further education. The various aspects of educating a child abroad should be thoroughly investigated and understood before a decision is taken.

Other problems might be the lack of appropriate guardians in the country of choice and reluctance of the child to want to go to Africa. The reluctance of the child in most cases is due to the perception and negative aspects of the country that may have been publicised in the media.

Some parents may have consciously or unconsciously used education in Africa as a threat or punishment for their children. This should not be so!

RCA: What support services does Prime Education Services provide its clients?

Funke Ogunshola: Our support is two-fold. Our services are to UK-based parents and to schools in Africa.

For parents, Prime Education offers consultancy and guidance on school selection, communication with the schools on parents’ behalf regarding entrance procedures and other logistics, advice on entrance exam preparation and all aspects of the transition for the children. We liaise with the schools of their choice, once they give us their mandate, to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience for child and parents.

For schools, we offer a professional exam management service that will enhance the school’s reputation, raise its prestige and profile through our awareness campaigns, lift the burden of overseas examination administration from ad-hoc persons and increase parents’ confidence in the school.

Currently we have schools in Nigeria and Ghana being represented by Prime Education for enquiries and exam processes and we are looking to expand on the number of schools in the coming year.

Our website (www.pes-uk.com) is quite informative and we can be contacted by phone on 0844 409 9584 or via e-mail: info@pes-uk.com