It is a one stop Institution for educational development - Principal

Who is the principal of all weather group of schools?

My humble self-Deaconess Esther Essien, I am from Eket the school is a second generation school owned by our late mother Chief Mrs. Edna U Essien, we the children are now up on our feet to take up that responsibility and the vision the leader had and we have vowed never to allow the initiative, (All Weather). The three children Chief Uduak Essien, Stella Essien and Esther Essien, we have all come together to take up that responsibility, the school is more than what you have seen, we have a branch of this school in Onna, here is the main campus, we have the Nursery, Primary and Secondary sections.

What is the driving force behind your acceptance of piloting the affairs of this school?
The driving force that urged me to take up the responsibility of piloting the affairs of this school is my awareness, my understanding of what leadership at an Educational institution means. I am never a novice in this noble profession, I am a professional teacher, and I read Education at the NCE level before proceeding for a higher degree. I want to believe that the late founder of All Weather International Schools Chief Edna Essien knew that we will key into her vision and thereby encouraging us to step into that field as well because without that, we wouldn’t have been able to sustain this legacy upon her demise. I believe to be a teacher is a calling because you could be forced into reading a particular course and you find it difficult to flow but when once you are called into that ministry you flow easily, so I enjoy doing this job even more than what my mother was doing.

Tell us about the time you have spent as the principal of the school, how has it been, the challenges and the lessons?
It’s been ups and downs both from the children side, the parents and the teachers’ side and even the side of the government. It’s been all ups and downs but by the grace of God we have been able to scale through the challenges. Like when we were about starting the secondary school section some years back I was heavy with my first child when I came in and we had about 25 students but to the glory of God because of the performances of the children we are close to five hundred in the space of six years in the secondary section.

Your school is one of the first private schools in Eket and some of the schools that came in with you are no more now, what is the secret of the success of All Weather Schools?

Spiritually I want to believe that first, it is the foundation, anything that is founded on Christ, it is bound to stand and also it is being influenced by the name All Weather. There is an adage that says that your name contributes to what you become in life. So All Weather, whether it is in hot or cold weather, All Weather still stands, passing through thin and tick, we fall, we rise,  All Weather still stands. It is by the grace of God it is not as if we are too perfect or as if we have fantastic things than others that came with us but are no more but it is God that has kept us. I was never in the system but I remember the story my brother told me about the school when the teachers ganged up and demonstrated in the road and children were going to school, what caused that I cannot really relay now, that alone could have gone a long way in bringing total discouragement to parents and even the ownership of the institution but then we never allowed such to be a distraction to them but to the glory of God, we are still waxing not just stronger but healthier.

YOUR INTER HOUSE SPORTS IS COMING SOON, HOW WELL ARE THE CHILDREN PREPARING FOR IT AND SO FAR HAVE YOU DISCOVERED TALENTS?
I will want to say yes, yes in the fact that you may not really discover the potentials in them, the children but by the time you put them through like the inter house sports that is coming up, I have seen a lot of them manifesting what they have inside them, you know we have a lot of events like the discus throw, javelin, short put and long jump. A child that is in the class and has not always wanted to participate in events, I see them coming up so strongly and doing marvelously well, so I believe that this eventhas made us to know that there are potentials in sports that need to be explored. If a child may not be so sound academically, you can see the better of that child in extra-curricular activities and with this, it is capable of sharpening such child’s intellect.

What is that thing that encourages you towards the running of the affairs of this school is it the teachers, the pupils and students or is it your love for the advancement of education?
It is all the factors that you have listed especiallythe passion for children because we are nurturing the children for national development. Why are the children in school, why are teachers in school? We are here to nurture them for a brighter future, so it is the passion I have for the children where their parents could not get to, I see them getting beyond that and where I personally could not get to, they will get beyond that.
It has even started manifesting because every day we are receiving reports in a form of a feedback. For instance, like one man that brought his two children some weeks back and said he went to a friend’s house and the lawyer working for the man said he graduated from All weather and the other one I think a female pilot attended and graduated from All Weather. So it really gives me joy and I am encouraged by these testimonies which pour in every day and we are trying as much as we can to impact into the lives of our pupils and students.

What has been the level of contribution from the past graduates of this school?
Satisfactory even though there is still room for more contributions from them. You know I came into the system six years ago but when we had the founder’s burial, I was so shocked and surprise to see family men and women, commissioners, doctors, and so they had a uniform on them tagged ex pupils and I was very encouraged and we gave them good attention so that they felt at home. As for what contribution they have given to school, there are some abroad that every year, they send in books renewing the library so many of them come in with their programmes just to make sure the school is doing well and when they come in to see the environment very much intact, they are always very happy.

You happen to be so many things in one woman, tell us how you manage to cope as a wife, as a mother, as the Principal of All Weather International Schools and as the chairperson in charge of private schools in Eket Senatorial district.
It does not in any way affect my responsibilities as a wife and as a mother. Infact it spurs me up to do more. I combine all responsibilities effectively. I do this because I know what I am doing and I have a passion for what I am doing. You know when once you have the passion for these things, there is no how you cannot manage it and manage it very well. So it does not affect me in any way both in church, my family, in school and the Association. It is an experience I am enjoying.

Does it not affect you cooking for your husband and children?
What is there in cooking? You know what to cook and you go into the kitchen though you require some assistance, it does not take anything from me doing that and I enjoy doing it.

What are the challenges that you have faced and presently facing in running the affairs of NAPPS?
The normal challenges of running an administration of like minds. But I thank God, we are going somewhere and God is leading NAPPS somewhere. The Challenges are a stepping stone to success and great success indeed.

What message do you give to students and Pupils of All Weather Schools to make them succeed?
We keep preaching the gospel to them; we keep telling them the particular gospel that says there is time for everything, now is the time that you are so still tender and in school, so you need to read and read very hard, you understand and the only obligation you owe your parents now is your academics, you have to make your parents proud. We also reward them, those that show brilliance and performed excellently. We tell them that you are not the one paying your fees or sending yourself to school your parents are the one but they need you to satisfy them by reading your books and coming out as good quality materials for Nigeria.

Principal of private Schools are mostly always women, why is it so. Are the women better the men in this regards ?
Women are mothers.Infact, I won’t even encourage a man to run a school like in our grade because a lot of things will be lacking, women are the best set of human beings to run a school successfully.

Let’s talk about the forth coming inter house sports, what is the package you have for the children?
We have a lot of things for them and it is going to be fun all through. It is going to be more colourful this time around compared to what we had last year. We have more events coming in this year. Last year, when the people saw what we could showcase they applauded us and told us to keep it up. We have a package that is all encompassing and all-embracing and the students, pupils, parents and teachers as well as other staff will be in for a very good treat. I am assuring you that come the first of March, 2014 at Onna Township Stadium, the talk of the town will be our inter house sports.

How many houses do you have, are they shared on people’s names or based on colours and do we expect the nursery section to part take?
We have six houses all together and they are based on colours. The nursery and primary section will participate they have two houses – yellow and purple while the secondary have four which are Red house, Pink house, Blue house and yellow house. Pink house is particularly for the founder so we call it Founder’s house.

In a nutshell tell us what you think the people of Akwa Ibom should know about All Weather International schools.
What we think the people of Akwa Ibom state should know about us is that All Weather International Schools has been the oldest in this Eastern region and is the newest, why am I saying so? I got that from the ministry of Education when we went there to summit one of our documents, they looked at us and checked through the documents and what we had in there and they congratulated us. When they compared our files to other files in the ministry they couldn’t believe what they saw. They came to a conclusion that we are updated and that we are living up to and beyond expectations. That was a plus for us. So I want the people of Akwa Ibom State to know that our school is a rebranded school. It is an old broom that sweeps better and we are known for excellence our motto there concludes it “determination is success” we train the children to determine for success and there is no how they are determined and they will not succeed.

When it comes to giving employment in your school do you check paper qualification or do you check practical experience?
Well we check all rounds, why I say we check all round is because we want to know such person’s capability. Before we admit or employ any teacher, we have to check your ability, your qualification, because this is a pure academic environment, are you experienced or you are just coming because you have the paper and you are looking for greener pastures? A teacher may not be so sound the first day he or she appears for an interview but you could see the potentials in that teacher and what you do is to pick that person up and begin to groom and before you know it, he is sharper than what you may assume. But before we employ you, we need to know why you are applying to serve in All Weather.

Any plans to have All Weather University soon?
By the grace of God, it all answers to naira and kobo because if you don’t have the facilities you may have to keep dreaming and dreaming but until the facilities are down and then ask for what it takes to move to that level I think we have it. But with time, it may be possible. Don’t rule it out.

Why do you think parents should send their children or wards to come and study in All Weather group of schools?
Because we have the things that are needful here and we have quality teachers whose duty is to shape the children and give them a brighter future for tomorrow.
We have one of the best facilities in that state and beyond. We do not offer only theoretical lectures but both practicals are inclusive, we are a one stop institution for educational development

What is your population in both students and pupils?
We have an impressive and encouraging population and this is because of the standard of our education. The standard is high and very high.

What is your final word to the government of Akwa Ibom State?
What I have to say to the government of Akwa Ibom state in terms of education is that there was a programme they embarked upon and that really encouraged my heart that is the revalidation programme. What they did then was going out to schools for assessment. They encouraged those that were doing well and performing above board and shut down those that were established for pecuniary benefits. It allowed schools to sit up and encouraged competitions.  I want them to really go back into that programme of revalidation so that they can see for themselves the best schools among the best.