Clarifications on ‘takeover’ of GCI, Ibadan

A burning issue in the Oyo State education sector is the seeming ‘takeover’ of the very famous Government College Ibadan (GCI) by the school’s Old Boys Association. The hues and cries that have met the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Old Boys Association and the Oyo State government is one that is largely due to a deliberate attempt to distort the facts by some elements, on the one hand, and a pretentious ignorance of the context leading to the agreements on the other. While one appreciates the sensitivity of diverse parties to policies and actions of government, it must be noted that only sincerity of purpose divorced from prejudices can ensure that all relevant parties to a matter make meaningful impact on it. Unless one wants to deliberately stir controversies, it cannot be denied that the Oyo State government currently under the administration of Governor Oluseyi Makinde is not only a listening one but one that is also analytical and critical of issues. In fact, the governor had publicly stated that his road map to a new Oyo State was designed like an engineering project where each step is evaluated, considered and calculated towards a productive end. In other words, every of the government’s actions are carefully considered before decisions are made.

That the state government agreed to the proposal of the Government College Ibadan Old Boys Association (GCIOBA) to play a management role in ensuring that the school is returned to reckoning as it once was underscores the government’s vision to also invest in human resources. The governor should be applauded; he is neither an old boy of GCI nor does he need the patronage of the Old Boys Association to be re-elected. Through the MoU signed with the association, the governor has shown a willingness to revamp the educational sector in the state if there are willing and adequately prepared collaborators. The end result of such an initiative is quality education and the production of sound students. To put the matter in proper perspective, Government College, Ibadan, which was founded in 1929 was originally conceived as a teacher training college by the colonial administration before its conversion into a secondary school for boys.

In spite of the redirection of the school’s original purpose, it became a model school in the guise of the best public schools in England at the time. To this end, the admission criteria were carefully crafted to ensure that intending pupils who merited entrance into the school were drafted from all over the colony.  In summary, GCI like others set up in other parts of the colony only admitted the very best of primary school leaving pupils. The policy was deliberate as it was designed to groom not only academically brilliant students but also to prepare emerging leaders for the colony, those who will build on the legacies of the colonial administration. It is a common belief that Government College Ibadan students were groomed for public service and administration, trained as academics and technocrats but not for the rough waters of politics.

This is to emphasise that GCI was set up with a clear objective and mandate in mind. It is in this wise that it produced some of the best writers, technocrats and professionals in the world. It is instructive to note that the school had very few people in active politics in the early days leading to independence; the most prominent perhaps was Adegoke Adelabu. The track of excellence continued after independence, GCI being a shining star among the schools of the Old Western Region.  The situation was to change in 1979 when the Oyo State government took over all schools and introduced free education from primary to secondary school levels. The government meant well, the intent no doubt was to make education more accessible for many post primary school pupils. What the government did not reckon with while taking the decision was the huge fund that will be needed for the initiative. Although prior to 1979, the Western Region government had first introduced free education across the region, however, at the time, the total number of secondary schools in the entire country was less than 200. The secondary schools founded by the colonial government, missionaries and private individuals in the Western Region stood at 31 as at 1957, three years before independence. The government was able to fund the free education policy because there was an adequate tax system and agriculture, which was the main stay of the economy, was booming.

The period of military interregnum dealt a devastating blow to the quality and consequently, the products. As at the time democracy resumed in 1979 and the state government decided to reintroduce the free education policy which also included the takeover of all schools from missions and private owners, there were 236 secondary schools in the state and the economy was in distress. In the face of competing necessities, education took the back bench and it effectively collapsed. Naturally, model schools such as GCI which had hitherto been the pride of the South West and the Nation took the worst hit. The quality of education dropped due to the large number of students in classrooms in comparison with the number of required competent teachers; infrastructures became dilapidated, positive values dipped and as a result, the society generally began to decay.  From then on, it became obvious that something urgent must be done in order to save education.

Agitations for the return of schools to missions and private owners became rife, and old boys of the first generation secondary schools, including the Ionian schools, joined the cry. The Old Boys Association which was founded in 1934 by the first set of graduate students had long known the importance of giving back to their alma mater as captured in all the stanzas of the school song. Since 1929 when the school was re-designated as a secondary school, every old boy has been indoctrinated with the philosophy of service and giving back.  One can therefore imagine the heartbreak of the old boys who are some of the finest crop of individuals in Africa seeing the school of their pride becoming a fossil of excellence. This reality prompted the old boys to be more committed to reviving the school and ensuring that current and future generations benefit from her legacies. But as a school that is publicly owned, they understood the need to convince the government and all stakeholders of their intention.

Today, there are 976 public secondary schools inclusive of seven science schools in Oyo State with an estimated student population of 400,000. The current budget for education by the state government stands at 18.37 per cent, approximately N54.1 billion of the total budget. The reason is because there are too many competing interests and the global economic meltdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government simply cannot work magic. It is in recognition of this reality that the government had included in its vision for resuscitating the education sector in Oyo State collaboration with willing alumni associations of schools. One then wonders why the smear campaign. Ironically, none of those currently championing the cause have children of secondary school age. The propaganda that members of an association solely responsible for fencing a school sitting on such a massive land mass to discourage encroachment will now become land grabbers is incredulous.

The GCIOBA has never contested ownership of the school with the Oyo State government. The terms of the MoU are specific, prominent among which is that the association will abide by the policies of the state government on education including that of free education. There is no future without a past and there can be no glory in the future if the present is not adequately taken care of. The old boys of GCI have no other school, we celebrate her past glory but we cannot deny her current sad state. All the parents who currently have children in the school must understand that this will be the case with their wards too when they graduate from the school. We therefore urge that there should be collaboration among all stakeholders in the interest of our children.

• Adesiyan is a member of the Class of 1989, Government College, Ibadan.