( CNN ) She grew up in Kenya under colonial rule , when women did n't get an education . Now in her 90s , Priscilla Sitienei is changing that , attending elementary school -- and inspiring a generation . She started five years ago as a kindergartner at a boarding school near Eldoret . She 's in fourth grade today . `` I had grandchildren and great-grandchildren who shunned school , '' she says by phone from Ndalat . `` That made me mad . I decided I have to show them that education is important . '' During colonial times , some Kenyan hospitals did not keep birth records . Sitienei 's exact age is unclear , but she says she was born around 1923 , when a famine plagued her hometown . Growing up , relatives told her she barely survived that famine as a toddler , which gave her a rough estimate of her birth year . If confirmed by the Guinness World Records , she would be the oldest pupil in elementary school . The last such honor by the Guinness World Records went to another Kenyan , Kimani Maruge , who in 2004 was named the oldest person to begin primary school . Five years later , he died at age 90 . Though Sitienei worked as a traditional midwife for decades , she says there 's still a lot to learn . `` My favorite subject is math , '' the nonagenarian says . `` Now that I 'm in school , I know the right dosage to give the women who I help deliver their babies . '' Sitienei got married at a young age and focused on raising her 10 children . `` I could not go to school even if I wanted , '' she says . `` In my time , educating a woman was considered a waste of time and money . '' She enthusiastically describes her love for school and her fellow pupils , some of whom she helped bring into this world . `` They call me 'Gogo , ' `` she says , using the word for grandmother in her local Kalenjin tribe . `` We play in swings during recess , we talk . I like school . '' Sitienei has a special dorm room tucked away in a corner , where she doles out wisdom to her proteges . Outside her door is a sign that says `` education has no age limit . '' David Kinyanjui , the principal of Leaders Vision Preparatory School , describes her as a model pupil . `` She advises our girls , she advises our boys , '' Kinyanjui says . `` She participates in everything , including PE ( physical education ) . She 's also good at math and science , and she 's such a good storyteller . '' Sitienei 's enthusiasm is already paying off . Her three great-grandchildren are her classmates . They have friendly competitions on who 'll make the best grades . Last year , Sitienei was the leading student in third grade . `` Her great-grandchildren could not believe she did better than them . That really motivated them ; one of them even cried , '' the principal says . Now they work even harder to beat her . CNN 's Lillian Leposo contributed to this report .
Priscilla Sitienei says she went back to school to inspire her grandchildren . `` She advises our girls , she advises our boys , '' her principal says .