A few years ago, Oscar decided to start a post graduate program with a Tertiary Institution nearby. He knew that juggling a masters program with a very meticulous work schedule wasn't going to be a walk in the park, but he was prepared to push it. The only trouble he couldn't figure out was how long he could keep this from his supervisor.
There was no e-learning option at the time the lecturers were hardliners who would go as far as issuing marks for class attendance and the evening lectures were to commence by 4pm daily, and that was exactly when he was expected to submit his daily work report to his supervisor at the office. This meant that there was no way he would get to class early, and could only wish the lecturer comes late enough for him to get into class just in time before they do.
Should he play hide and seek with his supervisor? He knew he would hit a brick wall if he tried to obtain upfront permission, to him this would probably be another excuse for shoddy reports which he sure wouldn't need. The other option of getting in late for a lecture or two wouldn't be too much of a problem (he will just schedule his annual leave to coincide with the exams), so he proceeded with his ambition anyway. He wasn't going to sit down and just watch his friends elsewhere (especially those in the public sector) add one degree after another while he made no progress.
For a few months I was able to fly under the radar to attend lectures and it was now time for the semester examinations to commence; somehow I was unable to schedule my annual leave to fall into the period, so the only option left to me was to speak with my boss, so I came up with a plan. I will make a run for it to write my first paper and then explain details to him the next morning when I get to the office and hope he doesn't get paranoid (or do a memo copied to human resources).
So, on the-day a few minutes to my planned bail out time of 3:45pm, I prepared the days reports and had it saved in my drafts, but just before i clicked the send button I looked up and saw that the man was not on his desk. While I was wondering where he was I saw his car hurriedly zooming out of the office premises. I clicked send anyway and made a run for my exams. Upon arrival at the examination hall, I saw his car again parked right outside the examination hall, I was shocked to discover that we had been in the same class for months, and clandestinely pursuing the same program.
This writeup really is not about my boss, I have always been privileged to have good and very understanding bosses in my professional career. The trouble was that my employers at the time had very airtight arrangements that made it literally impossible for any employee at my grade to work and school at the same time. Note that this was a time when "online schooling" (or anything online for that matter) was totally novel in our immediate society.
Why would an employer preach and project an image of being the 'best place to work' and that its employees were encouraged to further their academic aspirations, but on the other hand institutional measures that make it impracticable for any staff to achieve any schooling without breaking office rules?
Aren't my self improvement aspirations supposed to translate into benefits for my employer?
What exactly is the "Education allowance" in my employment contract meant for?
These were some of my concerns at the time and I can bet some of you reading this may be in this situation right now. Interestingly, today a lot has changed. Work, school, play and almost anything you can think of is now online, and the lines between them are also thinning out. If your employer isn't bothered about providing mobile data on your smart phone then relax, you will soon wake up from the nightmare.
I actually did get the second degree many months later, but believe me, I almost sacrificed the job in the process, it was almost like a camel passing through the eye of a needle. Thanks to all the supervisors I had during the time, it wouldn't have been possible without your understanding.
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