Opening digital pathways can reduce stress for teachers – Educationist

In this interview, educational consultant and author, Michael Omisore, speaks with TEMITOPE ADETUNJI about the pressing challenges facing the education sector. He highlights steps through which parents and educators can adopt the CURVE principles – Courage, Understanding, Responsibility, Values, and Expectations – to enhance teaching and inspire students to transition smoothly into adulthood

What inspired you to create the unique framework known as the CURVE Development Project?

As an educator and founder of the ‘Smart and Brilliant’ brand, I believe in providing excellent learning experiences to today’s students to help them build a solid future.

We’ve been running programmes for primary, secondary, and tertiary students.

We also focus on literacy, exam preparation, learning attitudes, and teacher training.

Over the past two years, we’ve conducted the SSCE Project, helping students from 250 public schools in Lagos State prepare for exams. However, we realised that students need more than academic preparation; they must be ready for life.

This insight led to the CURVE initiative, which helps secondary school leavers to transition smoothly into adulthood and professionalism.

CURVE stands for Courage, Understanding, Responsibility, Values, and Expectation, and helps to address the challenges young people face as they move into adulthood.

Can you share a specific instance where the CURVE framework significantly transformed a young person’s life?

We launched the CURVE programme at the beginning of July, and it will run until December. Each week, we focus on a specific topic aligned with the CURVE framework. For example, in the first week, we focused on the ‘C’, which stands for Courage, discussing Confidence.

The following week, we moved to the ‘U’, which is for Understanding, and the topic was Process.

During the interaction, we let the participants know the importance of recognising life as a process. Under Responsibility, we covered the topic of ‘Performance’, emphasising that performance is reality, and excuses are mere nothings. For Values, we dealt with Modesty, and under Expectation, we discussed Vision.

We’re currently in our second round of these C-U-R-V-E ideals, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

Participants consistently share their experiences and say they are gaining invaluable insights, which are significantly transforming their perspectives.

Even during the SSCE Project, which was primarily academic, we ensured that these ideals were integrated into our teaching. Whether it was Biology, Physics, Government, or Maths, we wove in lessons on courage, responsibility, and other ideals of the CURVE framework.

How can parents and educators use the CURVE principles to enhance their teaching methods and inspire students beyond academics?

Parents and educators can utilise the CURVE ideals to enhance teaching methods and inspire students beyond academics. I’ve always believed that knowledge must be instilled, not just dished out. This is a gap in our current education system. Knowledge needs to be communicated in a way that inspires and motivates students.

Teachers, while teaching, should strive to inspire and motivate their students. It’s not enough to simply convey the lesson of a topic, be it in Chemistry or Economics. What if a student is unmotivated to learn at that moment, or is facing personal challenges that hinder learning?

Teaching must go beyond mere instruction; it should guide students to the point of digestion and assimilation, and that will include inspiring and motivating them.

As an educator, you’ve worked with a wide range of students. What challenges do you think young people face today in their journey towards adulthood?

As educators, the right values and principles must be inculcated into our teaching delivery. This may not be part of the formal curriculum, but it should be reflected in the delivery. A good teacher should also be a good role model.

Students learn from what they see in their teachers as much as from what they are taught. By embodying these values, teachers can create a deeper bond with students and impact their lives beyond academics.

For parents, I believe that a significant portion of the challenges we face with youths in society stem from the home environment. Therefore, I encourage parents to be proactive in instilling positive ideals and values in their children. The CURVE platform is open to everyone, including parents, because if you haven’t learnt these principles yourself, you may struggle to teach them to your children. The platform, although aimed at youths aged 16 to 25, is open to people of all ages. Interestingly, we have participants as young as 12 and 13, who are actively engaged and learning alongside older students.

Part of the challenges Nigeria’s educational system is facing include a lack of resources and outdated curricula. Do you see CURVE as filling gaps?

Regarding Nigeria’s educational system, which faces challenges such as inadequate resources and outdated curricula, I see the CURVE programme as both a supplement and a gap-filler.

The curriculum we are developing can complement traditional education. For instance, a brilliant student who seriously lacks manners will eventually face difficulties in his dealings with people and his world. While Civic Education is part of the current curriculum, it is often taught in a theoretical manner that doesn’t resonate with students. The CURVE curriculum, however, is dynamic and engaging.

In your opinion, what are the most critical challenges facing the education sector in Nigeria today?

As an educator, I’ve worked with a wide range of students, and I see the challenges they face today. These challenges are varied and often result from numerous distractions.

I told them that when I was their age, there was only one television station in my town, Ibadan, Oyo State. But today, a student can come home and, if the parents subscribe to cable TV, he or she can flip through 10 channels of cartoons, another 10 of movies, another of music, and then sports, all available 24/7. And that is just TV. There are also games, social media, and the rest.

It is so easy these days for the average student to slip into oblivion and sink into time-consuming frivolities.

This distraction has significant negative impacts, including addiction to frivolous content, which doesn’t help them learn. It also affects their personal and social development, as well as their mental and physical well-being.

What role does technology play in modern education, and how can it be better integrated into the classroom to enhance learning?

Technology is here to stay, and embracing it will improve our education system, especially in this part of the world where we are already lagging.

Many private schools are currently facing serious financial challenges, with some even shutting down. I’ve advised school owners to open digital pathways, which could reduce stress on teachers, attract more parents, and open new frontiers for their school enterprise.

Engaging with technology will help us address issues like the shortage of quality teachers.

What are the most common misconceptions parents have about education, and how can this be addressed?

A common misconception is that parents believe paying school fees is enough for their child’s education and they end up leaving everything to the school.

This approach is flawed. I teach parents the 50-30-20 principle: the school contributes 50 per cent to a child’s education, the student contributes 30 per cent, and the family and society contribute the remaining 20 per cent. Each component is crucial, and if one is lacking, it negatively affects the others.

Another misconception is that parents often prioritise a school’s ambience or structure over the quality of education.