Esther, from Walsall, West Midlands, was home-schooled by her 37-year-old mathematician mother, Omonefe Okade, same as her 6-year-old kid brother Isaiah Okade, who is already studying for his A-levels.
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10-yr-old British-Nigerian girl admitted for Maths degree at university
A 10-year-old British-Nigerian girl, Esther Okade, has been admitted into the UK Open University to study for a Maths degree, even though she had never been in a school.
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Both have never attended a regular school and the only classroom they know is the living room of their semi-detached, three-bedroom house which their mother converted.
Mail Online reports that the young undergraduate passed the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), UK equivalent of the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) in Nigeria, at age 6, scoring a C in Mathematics.
She also passed her A-levels with B grade in pure maths and now intends to study up to PhD level before running her own bank.
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Mrs Okade said her daughter had always wanted to study for a degree from age 7 but her age put bottle-necks in the way.
“Esther is doing so well. She took a test recently and scored 100 per cent,” the proud mother said.
“Applying to the university was an interesting process because of her age.
“We even had to talk to the vice-chancellor. After they interviewed her they realised that this has been her idea from the beginning."
She said she had to stall Esther for three years until August last year when she applied to the Open University.
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“But I was afraid it was too soon. She would say, “Mum, when am I starting?”, and go on and on and on. Finally, after three years she told me, “Mum, I think it is about time I started university now”.’
The mother said her daughter was elated when she was accepted by the university in December.
So was her father Paul Okade, a 42-year-old Managing Director.
"I cannot tell you how happy and proud I am as a father," he said
"The desire of every parent is to see their children exceed them, and take the family name to great heights, and my children have done just that."
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Esther will be studying for her degree at home, just as she has studied all her life.
"For now we want her to enjoy her childhood as well as her maths," Mrs Okade said.
Much of Esther and her brother's success could be credited to their mother who has made geniuses out of them from her makeshift classroom.
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