Finding dignity and honour in teaching – Mariya Sirajo

Educational background I started my primary education at Kaduna Capital School from 1975 to 1981. From there I went to the Federal Government Girls College Bakori in 1981 to 1986. I then went to Federal College of Education Katsina,from 1987 to 1990 for my Nigerian Certificate in Education, where I studied Maths and Integrated Science. […]

Educational background

I started my primary education at Kaduna Capital School from 1975 to 1981. From there I went to the Federal Government Girls College Bakori in 1981 to 1986. I then went to Federal College of Education Katsina,from 1987 to 1990 for my Nigerian Certificate in Education, where I studied Maths and Integrated Science. After that I went to the University of Abuja, 1991 to 1995, from where I came out with a BSc. Education in Mathematics. I also have a master’s degree from the State University of New York, Buffalo Campus, which was run here in Abuja.

Career background

I am basically a teacher and I will always be a teacher. Actually, I wanted to be a doctor but somehow I found myself in the teaching profession. From my college days, after my first teaching practice, I fell in love with teaching and from then on I have always seen myself as a teacher. After graduation I worked at Fou’ad Lababidi Islamic Academy for two years where I taught mathematics to JS2, JS3 and SS1 students. 

Afterwards, I went to Esteem International School where I started as a class teacher then assistant head teacher and I was finally made the head teacher in 2003. I was head teacher there for 12 years after which I left and started Starfield College. It is a secondary school, which started in September 2015. We started with 7 and 8 year olds and we now have 9 year olds. It is an Islamic British-Nigerian curriculum based school. 

Growing up

Growing up was homely. We lived in a house in Kaduna, which was very large with a lot of trees and animals. We were very close to nature. We climbed trees and plucked fruits and we watched the animals grow. It was a monogamous home with my six siblings and my parents. My father cared very much about our education and made sure we went to the best schools and we had Islamic education as well. I completed the Qu’ran at the age of 11. My mother was also always there for us so it was overall a lovely growing up experience. I always tell my children that growing up in Abuja now is nothing compared to how much fun we had during our own childhood.

Challenges

Well I thank Allah for how my life has panned out but the challenges I have faced were after my secondary education. I went to the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria and I was studying to become a doctor. So I wrote Maths, Biology and Chemistry. After my first year, I wrote my exam and I failed maths so I had to re-sit it. I studied my maths textbook and re-sat the exam but failed it again and that meant I had to repeat the class. It was a big challenge for me and it wasn’t something I looked forward to at all. Then fortunately, my family and I were moving to Katsina from Kaduna and my father decided to find another school for me in Katsina and went to the Federal College of Education in Katsina and that was when I decided I had to get to the bottom of mathematics. So when he came with the list of courses I selected Math Integrated Science; I saw it as a challenge that I ought to conquer.

Life’s lessons

Whatever you are doing, you have to do it with passion and whatever and wherever you are, you treat people with respect. Do whatever you are doing with the fear of God, do it as perfectly as you can.

Aspirations growing up

I wanted to be a doctor and it was something that I wanted right from the beginning. It so happens that I ended up as a teacher but I still plan on doing PhD to become a doctor. So eventually I will go for it.

Fond childhood memories

Having free space to play and being able to enjoy nature and be close to it. We used to climb trees though our father didn’t like it. It was always fun so whenever he went out we would climb the tress and as soon as he came back we would rush down so he doesn’t catch us at it.

Typical day

I wake up before Fajr prayer and begin getting ready to go to work. I come to work and I go around to see what is happening and whatever needs to be done. I