By Chioma Okoye

Recognizing the gap in qualitative education, one passionate educator is playing her part in transforming the nation’s educational sector by providing a personalized learning experience for students, and offering support for educators by teaching them to deliver high-quality instruction within beyond the classroom. Co-founder, Early Years Tutors (EYT Academy) and Founder, 360teacher, Amarachi Ifeanyi-Ngige, is sharing her years of experience, striving to ensure that every child gets high quality academic support, regardless of any distances, differences or boundaries.

In 2019, Ifeanyi-Ngige co-founded EYT Academy, an online school that provides personalized academic support to students from pre-K to 12th grade. After working in Nigerian schools and observing the stark contrast between students who receive support at home and those who do not, Amarachi became a firm believer that every child deserves the academic support necessary to thrive.

Through her other establishment, 360teacher, Ifeanyi-Ngige is supporting educators in enhancing their communication and life skills while helping them thrive personally and professionally.

Ifeanyi-Ngige revealed that one of our biggest takeaways from her journey in the education sector has been the importance of personalized academic support to each child’s success. She is using her brand EYT Academy to meet this need.

“Having worked in the classroom for several years before starting EYT Academy, I’ve witnessed firsthand the joy of seeing students thrive. My experience has shown me that every child learns differently, with unique personalities and learning styles. Not all children excel in large classroom settings, which is why tailored support is essential. The impact for me has been immense, as I’ve seen each child in our learning community grow and thrive in their classroom and beyond,” she said.

She noted that her biggest challenge encountered has been finding professional teachers who possess the necessary qualifications, and have the passion and spark to connect with students.

“One of the significant challenges I’ve faced while running EYT Academy is recruitment. A teacher’s ability to form a personal connection with their students is crucial for effective learning. I’ve encountered candidates who appear impressive on paper but lack the essential personal touch during interviews,”

She commended the efforts of many institutions of learning in Nigeria, but stated that there is still massive room for improvement: “One major issue is large classroom sizes, which make it impossible for one teacher to effectively cater to the diverse learning needs of 15-20 students. I strongly advocate for smaller classroom sizes, increased manpower, and more resources to support teachers”

“While some Nigerian schools are excelling, others struggle with inadequate resources. The problem isn’t necessarily the curriculum or lesson delivery, but rather the lack of manpower and infrastructure to support individualized instruction,” added Ifeanyi-Ngige.

To radically overhaul the schools in Nigeria’s educational system, Ifeanyi-Ngige recommends a multi-faceted approach that would involve both the government, key administrators, teachers and parents. For a change to occur, she stated that all hands need to be on deck.

“We need to have smaller classroom sizes, better policies for our schools and teachers, and a targeted training to address the prevailing issues and a mindset shift, not just among teachers, but amongst parents as well. Clear expectations must be communicated, and parents must be held accountable. Parents must be aware of their role in their child’s education and take an active interest in their learning” she said.