I am much honoured to be a teacher at an all-girls school, and I am grateful to Elohim for this stellar opportunity. Every day, when I engage the young girls in the classroom through academic lessons, I am reminded that I am not merely teaching English. I am standing before dreams, nurturing and impacting young girls for a brighter future.
Interestingly, one is not far from the truth if they say that behind every face in the classroom is an untold story. There is the girl who has an ambition of becoming a medical doctor, the one who aspires to become a lecturer, and others who envision themselves as journalists, lawyers, pharmacists, scientists, entrepreneurs and professionals in countless other fields. Sadly, there is also the ignorant young girl who may not yet know exactly what she wants to become in life, but who possesses the power to become someone greater than her present situation.
This explains why the education of the girl child must be treated as one of the most important investments any nation can make. Education can open doors that poverty seeks to close. It can give a girl a voice in a society that may sometimes attempt to silence her. It can equip her with knowledge and skills to participate meaningfully in the development of her family, community and nation.
But we must ask a difficult question: Is educating the girl child enough?
The answer is no.
We must not only educate the girl child; we must also protect her dreams.
Every girl who enters a classroom carries a dream. Unfortunately, many of these dreams are threatened long before they have the opportunity to become reality. Poverty can threaten the dream of a brilliant girl. Family responsibilities can force her to sacrifice her education. Teenage pregnancy can stop her from pursuing her dreams. Abuse in all kinds and most especially sexual abuse can completely shatter her confidence. Expectations from society can wrongly inform her that certain careers are not meant for her. Lack of mentorship can leave her confused about her future. Fear of failure can cause her to give up before she even begins.
Some girls are in school, but their dreams are quietly dying.
This is why educating the girl child must go beyond placing her in a classroom and expecting her to perform well in examinations. We must create environments in which girls feel safe, valued, encouraged and empowered to dream.
A girl needs more than textbooks. She needs someone who will tell her, “You can do this.”
She needs teachers who will see beyond her grades and recognise her potential. She needs mentors who will guide her when she is uncertain. She needs parents who will encourage her ambitions rather than limit them. She needs a society that will not define her worth by her appearance, her background or the circumstances into which she was born.
The role of teachers in protecting girls’ dreams cannot be overemphasised. In many schools, a teacher may be the first person to recognise a girl’s potential. A teacher may notice the quiet girl who rarely speaks but writes brilliantly. A teacher may encourage the student who has lost confidence. A teacher may become the voice that tells a struggling girl, “Your present circumstances do not define your future.”
Sometimes, one teacher’s encouragement can change the direction of an entire life.
As teachers, we must therefore understand that our work extends beyond the delivery of lessons. Every statement made by the teacher can either build or erode a student’s confidence. I always advise my colleague teachers that a word of encouragement to our learners can rekindle a dream that has been buried. A moment of patience can prevent a girl from giving up. A teacher who listens can sometimes reach a student in ways that a textbook never can.
However, teachers cannot do this work alone. The protection of our young female students is a collective effort of all and sundry, including the family, church, and the community as a whole. As educators, we must be very sensitive to the psychological well-being of our young girls. A girl may be very intelligent in class, scoring higher marks, and still struggle with low self-esteem, anxiety, fear and physical and sexual abuse. If we focus on her academic performance in class while neglecting her emotional needs, we may produce academically strong students but fail to nurture confident, healthy and resilient women.
We must also prepare girls for the future. The world is changing rapidly. Technology, artificial intelligence, science and innovation are transforming the nature of work and society. Our girls must not be spectators in this changing world. They must be encouraged to explore science, technology, engineering, mathematics, entrepreneurship and leadership.
The girl child must be taught not only to pass examinations but also to solve problems, think critically, communicate confidently and lead courageously.
Most importantly, we must protect her right to dream.
A girl should not have to apologise for wanting to become great. She should not be made to feel that ambition is unbecoming of her. She should not be told that certain careers are reserved for boys. She should not be forced to abandon her dreams because society has decided that her future must be smaller than her potential.
When we educate a girl, we invest in an individual. When we protect her dreams, we invest in a family, a community and a nation.
The girl sitting quietly in a classroom today may become the doctor who saves lives, the teacher who inspires generations, the scientist who develops solutions, the entrepreneur who creates jobs or the leader who transforms society.
But before she becomes any of these, she needs people who will believe in her.
Therefore, our responsibility is not merely to educate the girl child. Our responsibility is to create the conditions that allow her education to flourish. We must protect her from the forces that seek to silence her, discourage her and destroy her confidence.
We must protect her dreams.
The writer, Isaac Nyarko Antwi, is a GES teacher.
