By Hikmot Iyiola
Every weekday morning in Ago Iwoye, the streets tell two different stories. Some children go to school in their school uniforms, their bags swinging as they rush to class. Others of the same age sit by the roadside, hawk goods at the market or run errands for adults even before the school bell rings. This contrast is so common that it is often ignored. Yet, each time I notice it, I am reminded that childhood education in Ago Iwoye is not just about classrooms and textbooks; it is about the choices we make as a community. How we treat early education today will shape the kind of future we inherit tomorrow.
Many families appear to value immediate income over long-term development, a choice often driven by economic pressure, rather than indifference. The struggle to meet daily needs often push education down the list of priorities. However, these choices affect the lives of their kids, one way or the other. From what I observed, there isn't adequate awareness on importance of childhood education in Ago Iwoye, hence, the problem. Also, cultural beliefs in some families state that children do not necessarily have to attend school to make it in life. Their mindset is that their fathers became reputable farmers without a formal education. This type of mindset quietly undermines the future of the community.
Although I believe to a very large extent that giving informal education to a child is a very important thing. In some parts of Ago Iwoye, children that learn trades like tailoring, mechanics, hairdressing, plumbing and so on get experience in the outside world and are able to handle tasks well. However, informal learning on its own is insufficient. While it teaches survival, discipline or trade, it doesn't provide literacy or critical thinking. When informal education replaces, rather complements early education, children are denied the foundation to adapt, innovate and compete in a changing world.
When early education is neglected, the consequences extend far beyond the individual child. The early years of a child matters, therefore, if this child misses the foundation years, he'll struggle to catch up later, not because of lack of ability but because the ground work was never laid. Over time, this results in limited opportunities for employment and personal growth. As these children grow into adults, the community bears the cost through increased dependency and reduced productivity. In Ago Iwoye community, the gradual accumulation of such lost potential threatens long-term developments and reinforces a cycle that becomes harder to break with each generation.
Addressing childhood education in Ago Iwoye requires more than sympathy; it demands a shift in mindset. Education must be seen as a long-term investment rather than a distraction from daily survival. While informal learning and family support play important roles, they should complement, not replace, early formal education. When parents, community leaders, and institutions recognise early learning as a shared responsibility, children are more likely to receive the structure and guidance they need to thrive.
Ago Iwoye cannot afford to treat childhood education as optional or something to be postponed. Every child denied early learning today becomes a challenge the community will confront tomorrow. If the community continues to overlook the growing number of children learning survival instead of skills, the future we fear may be the one we create ourselves.
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