Brief History Of Ikorodu Grammar School

ESTABLISHMENT

Ikorodu Grammar School (IGS) was established in 1980 during the first civilian regime of Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande. It was one of the efforts of the regime to improve access to secondary education under the Free Education program of the UPN.

Prior to its establishment, there were few secondary schools in the Ikorodu Division.

ACADEMIC COMMENCEMENT

It began the academic session on the 26th, September 1980. The pioneer principal was Prince Adegbola Amusa, while the Vice Principal was Mr Vincent Akwudikwe. The recruitment of some categories of non-teaching staff: driver, cleaners, guards, and gardener was done by the pioneer principal. A pre-opening staff meeting was held on Thursday,22nd September 1980.

The pioneer students automatically resumed on that historical date of September 26th,1980. The hoisted National flag was fluttering joyously in the clear morning air, with the recitation of the national anthem and the national pledge.

The school anthem was composed by a Ghanaian Teacher from Teachers’ training college Ikorodu and was adopted by the school.

The school had about seven Ghanaians teaching staff at its commencement, who were proficient, efficient, industrious and co-operative. The Ghanaian teachers were Mr Williams (Art), Mr Appiah (Agric Science), Mr Boateng (Commercial Studies), Mr Pratt (Accounts), Mr Sam (Maths) and Mr Agyman (Biology). Aside from the Ghanian teachers, other teachers who are Nigerians were Mr Onafowokan (Senior Tutor/Math/Statistics/Further Maths) Mr Orefuwa (Chemistry) Mr Ayeni (Technical Drawing), Mr Sanusi (Yoruba), Mrs Idowu (Yoruba) Mr Akinola (Social Studies) Mr Fajemilusi (History), Mr Hassan (Geography) Mr Adewunmi (Commerce/Economics) etc.

It should be recalled that when the school was opened in September 1980, it had six streams of Form One students. But by the third week of that first term, the school experienced an unusual and rather unexpected increase in its student population.

The Schools Management Committee (S.M.C) Ikorodu directed that all six streams of the student population of Forms Two and Three of Ikorodu High School, Ikorodu should be absorbed by Ikorodu Grammar School to de – congest Ikorodu High School, which hitherto had been running both morning and afternoon shifts. The shift system was eventually abolished under the new education policy of Jakande’s administration.

As a result of this development, the school now had Forms One, Two and Three instead of only Form One. This accelerated the time the school had to get ready for the compulsory West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC) inspection by about three years.

Among other numerous academic laurels was the school’s unbroken records of winning four consecutive editions of the Islamic quiz competition organized by Anwarul-Islam society of Nigeria, from 1982-1985. The school also won the maiden edition of Alhaji Sholaja Alagago memorial inter-collegiate quiz competition in 1985 which was between Ikorodu Grammar School and Oreyo Grammar School, Igbogbo. As a stamp of its authority in sport, IGS won 3rd Position in Lagos State Principal Cup in 2015.

A major academic milestone was recorded at the kick-off of the 6-3-3-4 school system. Ikorodu Grammar School Ikorodu was consistently the best school in Ikorodu and its environs in the JETS (Junior Engineers, Technicians and Scientists) quiz from 1989-1991.Based on its performance in the JETS Quiz competition, an invitation to represent Ikorodu & its environs in the Commonwealth Quiz competition in Lagos was achieved in 1990. Again, in the same year, when the Government Teachers Training College Igbogbo (GTTCI) facility was to be decommissioned, which currently accommodates the Lagos State Civil Service Model College Igbogbo, founded in 1993, the School Management Committee wrote to officially transfer all the Science Laboratory equipment of GTTCI to Ikorodu Grammar School Ikorodu to fully equip her science laboratory. The IGS team that went for the handover of the science laboratory equipment was led by Mr. Orefuwa (Head of Science Teachers) and in his company were Mr. Amos (Physics Lab technician) and the current President of IKOGRAMSOLDS, Engineer Festus Mobolaji Idowu who led IGS JETS club and won the Ikorodu Division JETS quiz competition for a record time of three (3) years (1989-91), and was then the Senior Prefect Boy of the school.

Up to the present time, the school is waxing stronger and remains a formidable school in Ikorodu and beyond with scorecard of excellence in academics, sports and other competitions among the leading schools.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

1. The school had its first Annual inter House Athletics Competition in the second year of its establishment.

2. It is on record that the Parents Teachers Association was set up in the same year the school was established.

3. A renowned parent Alhaji Kasali (alias Alex) who was the manager of ALEX METAL WORKS, donated to the school a strong iron gate and even bore the entire cost of the installation of the expensive iron gate.

4. Voluntary organisations like Boys Scout Movement, Red Cross of Nigeria and the Sheriff Guard of Nigeria were established courtesy of the pioneer principal.

5. The school had won many laurels in various competitions organized by the state government and other educational agencies.

DIVISION OF THE SCHOOL

In 2003, the school, like other secondary schools in Lagos state, was split into two: Senior and Junior Secondary, becoming Ikorodu Senior Grammar School and Ikorodu Junior Grammar School with different administrations and structures.