Opinions

Saint Anne’s School Ibadan (1869 – 2018)

Saint Anne’s School was established in 1869 by the Church Missionary Society (CMS). The school was established specifically for girls and it was initially called CMS Girls School and later became CMS Girl’s Seminary.

Thus, it can be said to be the oldest girl’s school in Nigeria and in the West Africa sub-region. It was, however, moved to its present site from Lagos, having been merged with Kudeti Girls School, Ibadan. It metamorphosed into Saint Anne’s School in 1950. Saint Anne’s School can be said to be the forerunner of all girls’ school in this part of Nigeria. This is because many other schools evolved from it. For example, St. Margaret School, Ilesa, Yejide Girls’s Grammar School, Ibadan and Fiwasaiye Girls School, Akure are some of the schools which owe their evolution and existence to Saint Anne’s School. All these schools can be referred to as St. Annes’s sister-schools. Indeed, all the founding principals of these schools, started as teachers and pupils from Saint Anne’s School. Thus St. Annes on the Hill, as it is popularly referred to has a great history, as the mother of several other schools. In addition, Saint Anne’s School is the first school to present girls in the country for Cambridge school certificate!

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Predictably, Saint Anne’s School has produced many Nigeria’s women trailblazers, celebrated female professionals and top public and private sector office holders. Women like the late Lady Kofo Ademola was not only the first Nigerian female graduate, but was also the first African female student in Oxford university; Mrs. Tejumade Alakija, the first Nigerian female science graduate; late Justice Roseline Omotoso, the first female Chief Judge in Lagos State; Mrs Dorothy Akanya, the first female commissioner for Health in the former Northern Region; late Prof. Jadesola Akande, the first female Vice Chancellor of a state university. Others are: Rtd. Major General Kale, the first Nigerian female Major General (she was a Medical Doctor), the late Mrs. Flora Nwapa-Nwakuche, the first Nigerian female novelist; late Justice Atinuke Ige, the first female Judge in the then Western State; Prof. (Mrs.) Bolanle Awe, the first Nigerian female Professor of History; Prof. (Mrs) Bisi Sowunmi, an ordained priest of the Anglican communion; Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Director in the World Bank and two time Federal Minister of Nigeria; late Chief (Mrs) Toyin Olakunrin, the first female Chartered Accountant in Sub-Saharan Africa and first female Director of Institute of Directors (IOD. Rtd Chief Justice of Akwa Ibom state, Justice Idongesit Isua (nee Ntem) and Mrs Edak Uduak Umondak (nee Ononokpono), the immediate past Registrar, University of Uyo are old girls of St Anne’s School. The present CJ of Ondo State is an old girl of St Annes, Justice Toyin Olanrewaju-Akeredolu. For years, many of us used an English Language text book co-authored by Mrs Omolara Ogundipe (an old girl of St Annes) and Tregido. Needless to say, this list is endless.

The school was founded by missionaries who laboured for all in the hope that Nigerian girls will be sustained in the light of the Holy Spirit. Thus pupils of the school are taught to labour right from their first day in school, in order to serve their country, with all their strength and faith. They are taught that it is their scared responsibility to transmit the culture of the school wherever they are, so that all will know that they have integrity and are well trained. St. Anne’s products are not only taught to be industrious, but to also work hard on anything they lay their hands on and be well organised. They are also taught to be independent and be willing to help all those around them, as it is the school’s tradition. It is expected that a St. Anne’s product will have an open mind and be prepared to help others.

The school’s motto “Courage, Modesty and Sincerity” are expected to be upheld by its products. The symbols on the school’s crest are the Dove, which is a symbol of the Holy Spirit; the open book is the Bible, for it is the Holy Spirit that opens life, with its light for all, and the Palm Tree, which is a common tree that grows in the rainforest areas of Nigeria. No part of the palm tree is useless, hence it is a unique and outstanding tree. The bold lines on the crest represent rivers Niger and Benue of Nigeria.

The patron Saint of the school is Saint Annes, who is regarded as the mother of the Virgin Mary. Her feast day is 26th July, hence the school’s birthday. St. Annes is also said to be the patron Saint of Miners. There are six houses in the school and each house has its own colour. They are St. Catherine (Red); St. Claire (Yellow); St. Faith (Green); St. Hildas (Brown); St. Mary (Blue) and St. Margaret (Orange). Each house celebrates its birthday by entertaining the whole school for a week. St. Catherine’s birthday is April 30; St. Claire’s August 12; St. Faith’s October 6; St. Hildas November 7; St. Mary’s March 2 and St. Margaret’s June 10. The house birthdays are held in remembrance of the saints after whom the houses were named. In her sermon in those days, the then principal (during my own time), Mrs. C. F. Bullock (nee Groves) charged girls to live good Christian lives, love, as well as respect the simple things of life. On Christian virtues, an extract from her letter during the school’s 120th anniversary would illustrate this better. “I have only been able to record very few of the very many happy hours I have spent in the lab, classroom, chapel and stadium, encouraging people to think harder, search more diligently, jump higher, speak kindler, forgive more freely, tolerate more widely, care more deeply and work for the common good and tell you of the joy it had given me when they succeeded”. Every August, the school holds its annual Arts Festival. It is usually very interesting and entertaining. Different types of activities are competed for by all the houses.