Adenrele Dimla: The Foundation Builder
By Oladipo Oluwatosin
As a kid growing up, Mrs. Adenrele Dimla’s dream was to become a lawyer. She made reading her main hobby, as though she knew that at that age she could not possibly be a lawyer if she did not love reading. “I was a passionate reader”, she recalls. “I had read all children’s books at home and was asking my father to buy more or take me to the library”, Adenrele remembered.
Her love for children’s books gradually and unconsciously built in her a new passion for children’s education. A passion that was ignited at the International Women Society School on Murtala Mohammed Way, Yaba Lagos, where at kindergarten, she was exposed to the Montessori Method of education.
The daily routine of singing, sketching, painting and learning with toys, coupled with the regular meals, thrilled the little Adenrele, such that she began to nurse the desire to set up a school – even as a toddler.
“Montessori is a system that explains the rudiments on how to teach toddlers and young kids effectively through play using miniature models of real-life situations and a comprehensive breakdown of phonics”, she explained. “It takes into custody the way and how a child can read and break down words into syllables with a special interest and passion to know what it is all about. Now, it would be difficult for anybody to drop any document anyhow, because if there is a Montessori-grounded child around, he or she can read through”, said she.
Adenrele had a childhood that
helped to lay the foundation for her to become an educationist. “I had a
wonderful upbringing”, she recalled. “My parents were so loving,
accommodating and loved academics. Literature in English is my best
subject up till today”, she added.
Her quest for education took her through Lara Day Nursery and Primary School, Adeniyi Jones Avenue, Ikeja to Gbagada Girls Secondary School, where she completed her senior secondary education in 1985. She gained admission into the Bauchi College of Arts and Science (BACAS) for her A’ Levels, after which she proceeded to the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science in 1991. After the mandatory national youth service in 1992, she enrolled at the Lagos State University (LASU), and obtained a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) degree in 1997.In order to have a firm footing in the area she was going to devote her entire energy, she obtained a diploma in Montessori Study in 1998.
Upon graduation from ABU at 22, Adenrele, who was born in Lagos state just as her parent was (and could be traced to Oke-Lisa, Ondo town), got married to Joel Dimla from Obudu, Cross River State. Mr. Dimla was a lecturer at BACAS, at that time.
Adenrele said her early marriage turned out to be a boost to her interest in the Montessori Method of education. “I can say it categorically that my marriage boosted my career in Montessori”, she said with satisfaction. My attributes as a homely and hospitable person basically occupied me for several years”.
Her husband wanted her to work in Punch newspaper as a features writer, ostensibly because of her love for literature. But she was not cut out for journalism. “My response was ‘’No’”, she recalled. “I gathered my certificates to search for secondary school teaching employment, but people discouraged me”.
During that same period, the Dimlas were also searching for a school that could give their children a good foundation in quality education, since she could not establish one. But her experience as a kid at Lara Day Nursery and Primary School came in handy.
With no school that met her taste/choice/quest of what she wanted then, Adenrele took it upon herself to home-school her young son, who is the first child. Then she learnt of Ebenezer Montessori School and was taken by their style of teaching which involved the use of toys, sketching, recreational activities, phonics, etc. The experience helped affirm her vision to operate a centre that embraces the Montessori teaching method.
Mrs. Dimla paid daily visits to the school, in quest for qualitative education for her son. “Mrs. Efuniyi, who is my mentor in the Montessori business till date, encouraged and counseled me to acquire a diploma in Montessori”, she said. “I informed my husband and he was very supportive. I will be able to run a daycare / crèche afterwards.’’
We named my new school Crown Montessori School, and began operation in 1998 in a two-bedroom flat.’’ As the setting grew, it was necessary to start proper nursery and elementary sections because of the positive impact that the daycare had made.
A few years later, following criticisms and suggestions from her mentor Mrs. Efuniyi, Adenrele changed the name of her setting from Crown Montessori School to Cuteland Montessori School.
Her third son, being a pupil in the new setting, gave her the impetus to use rich ideas that empowered and promoted the school on a daily basis. He was a constant reminder of what worked well and what did not when he gets home at close of school.
Mrs. Adenrele Dimla lamented the fact that, the Nigerian educational system is not based on the Montessori Method; rather, there is a greater emphasis on theory than practical. “The abstract way of teaching in the olden days is not the best for a child to learn, because the link with the world outside the classroom, was never built.’’
‘’Pupils only mastered the art of cramming lesson contents at the detriment of hands-on activities involving the five sense.
At Cuteland Montessori School, Mrs. Dimla mentioned that to help discover the children’s areas of strength and build the educational foundation on such the school hired diverse professional teachers to teach Fine Art, Botany, zoology, Music. The school Montessori teaching style had learning opportunities to teach children Practical life skills: Botany, Zoology etc.
Mrs. Dimla frowns at the common practice of organizing extra coaching for children; a practice she said is based chiefly on the pecuniary interests of school owners. “Some schools are fond of occupying most time of students and teachers for their selfish interests in order to justify their pay”, she said. “I don’t belief in extra-lesson or coaching. Let them have fun the way I did; have time to do their assignment and sleep at the appropriate time.”
As a kid growing up, Mrs. Adenrele Dimla’s dream was to become a lawyer. She made reading her main hobby, as though she knew that at that age she could not possibly be a lawyer if she did not love reading. “I was a passionate reader”, she recalls. “I had read all children’s books at home and was asking my father to buy more or take me to the library”, Adenrele remembered.
Her love for children’s books gradually and unconsciously built in her a new passion for children’s education. A passion that was ignited at the International Women Society School on Murtala Mohammed Way, Yaba Lagos, where at kindergarten, she was exposed to the Montessori Method of education.
The daily routine of singing, sketching, painting and learning with toys, coupled with the regular meals, thrilled the little Adenrele, such that she began to nurse the desire to set up a school – even as a toddler.
“Montessori is a system that explains the rudiments on how to teach toddlers and young kids effectively through play using miniature models of real-life situations and a comprehensive breakdown of phonics”, she explained. “It takes into custody the way and how a child can read and break down words into syllables with a special interest and passion to know what it is all about. Now, it would be difficult for anybody to drop any document anyhow, because if there is a Montessori-grounded child around, he or she can read through”, said she.
Adenrele had a childhood that
helped to lay the foundation for her to become an educationist. “I had a
wonderful upbringing”, she recalled. “My parents were so loving,
accommodating and loved academics. Literature in English is my best
subject up till today”, she added.Her quest for education took her through Lara Day Nursery and Primary School, Adeniyi Jones Avenue, Ikeja to Gbagada Girls Secondary School, where she completed her senior secondary education in 1985. She gained admission into the Bauchi College of Arts and Science (BACAS) for her A’ Levels, after which she proceeded to the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science in 1991. After the mandatory national youth service in 1992, she enrolled at the Lagos State University (LASU), and obtained a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) degree in 1997.In order to have a firm footing in the area she was going to devote her entire energy, she obtained a diploma in Montessori Study in 1998.
Upon graduation from ABU at 22, Adenrele, who was born in Lagos state just as her parent was (and could be traced to Oke-Lisa, Ondo town), got married to Joel Dimla from Obudu, Cross River State. Mr. Dimla was a lecturer at BACAS, at that time.
Adenrele said her early marriage turned out to be a boost to her interest in the Montessori Method of education. “I can say it categorically that my marriage boosted my career in Montessori”, she said with satisfaction. My attributes as a homely and hospitable person basically occupied me for several years”.
Her husband wanted her to work in Punch newspaper as a features writer, ostensibly because of her love for literature. But she was not cut out for journalism. “My response was ‘’No’”, she recalled. “I gathered my certificates to search for secondary school teaching employment, but people discouraged me”.
During that same period, the Dimlas were also searching for a school that could give their children a good foundation in quality education, since she could not establish one. But her experience as a kid at Lara Day Nursery and Primary School came in handy.
With no school that met her taste/choice/quest of what she wanted then, Adenrele took it upon herself to home-school her young son, who is the first child. Then she learnt of Ebenezer Montessori School and was taken by their style of teaching which involved the use of toys, sketching, recreational activities, phonics, etc. The experience helped affirm her vision to operate a centre that embraces the Montessori teaching method.
Mrs. Dimla paid daily visits to the school, in quest for qualitative education for her son. “Mrs. Efuniyi, who is my mentor in the Montessori business till date, encouraged and counseled me to acquire a diploma in Montessori”, she said. “I informed my husband and he was very supportive. I will be able to run a daycare / crèche afterwards.’’
We named my new school Crown Montessori School, and began operation in 1998 in a two-bedroom flat.’’ As the setting grew, it was necessary to start proper nursery and elementary sections because of the positive impact that the daycare had made.
A few years later, following criticisms and suggestions from her mentor Mrs. Efuniyi, Adenrele changed the name of her setting from Crown Montessori School to Cuteland Montessori School.
Her third son, being a pupil in the new setting, gave her the impetus to use rich ideas that empowered and promoted the school on a daily basis. He was a constant reminder of what worked well and what did not when he gets home at close of school.
Mrs. Adenrele Dimla lamented the fact that, the Nigerian educational system is not based on the Montessori Method; rather, there is a greater emphasis on theory than practical. “The abstract way of teaching in the olden days is not the best for a child to learn, because the link with the world outside the classroom, was never built.’’
‘’Pupils only mastered the art of cramming lesson contents at the detriment of hands-on activities involving the five sense.
At Cuteland Montessori School, Mrs. Dimla mentioned that to help discover the children’s areas of strength and build the educational foundation on such the school hired diverse professional teachers to teach Fine Art, Botany, zoology, Music. The school Montessori teaching style had learning opportunities to teach children Practical life skills: Botany, Zoology etc.
Mrs. Dimla frowns at the common practice of organizing extra coaching for children; a practice she said is based chiefly on the pecuniary interests of school owners. “Some schools are fond of occupying most time of students and teachers for their selfish interests in order to justify their pay”, she said. “I don’t belief in extra-lesson or coaching. Let them have fun the way I did; have time to do their assignment and sleep at the appropriate time.”
The Cuteland proprietress emphasized on how government can encourage investors to invest in education and tourism sector, since the two sectors complement each other. “The major promoters and customers of tourism are students, based on the fact that they go for excursions every year. She said, for instance, that her pupils were at the Silverbird Galleria, Victoria Island, Lagos, at its commissioning. They have also visited Nigeria’s first storey building at Badagry, as well as Benin Republic. For the fact that, so many children living on the Island/Mainland do not even know their immediate environment, like Sango, Ikoyi, Agege, Marina, Alimosho, Oyinbo terminus etc she condemned flying children abroad only for excursion, when we still have many places in Nigeria to be visited yet such as our International airports, Third Mainland bridge, Eleko beach on Lagos Island, Olumo rock in Ogun State, Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River state, Ikogosi spring in Ekiti state.
Then the school can plan trips to neighboring African countries before embarking on any trip outside the continent.A good event planner, Adenrele said her school was applauded for the success of her just concluded grassroots Inter-house Sports Festival at Ile-Pako Play ground, in Agege. The event was well attended and covered by the media.
She described Cuteland Montessori as a complete picture of a viable Montessori school that believes in building the foundation for every child. The school boasts of complete Montessori learning materials, air-conditioned school bus, functional daycare, well equipped classrooms with air-conditioning system, and a stand-by generator all in a secure environment.
The school can be contacted at cutelandmontessori@gmail.com; facebook.com/cutelandmontessori or its website – www.cutelandmontessori.com.
Mrs. Adenrele Dimla is 45. The sixth in a family of 12: fifth girl amongst the 8 girls and 4 boys. She has four children.
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