The idea of the establishment of Osogbo Grammar school was mooted by a group of christians, who were members of All Saints' Anglican Church, Osogbo, about the year 1943. The Osogbo Secondary School Movement was formed under the Chairmanship of one Mr. Lewis, a government pharmacist then at the Osogbo General Hospital. Other members of the movement included the Reverend R.A Ashley- Dejo, then the Vicar of All Saints' Church Osogbo; Messrs John Koledowo; Thomas Ajani (Alaran and later Baba Ijo of All Saints' Church Osogbo); Moses Oladipo (Tailor of Olobu Compound Osogbo); Adeleke Laniyan; Inspector J.A Ajan; Ayo Oyaniyun; P.A Mosadomi; Reverend Maxwell; D.B Ladiran; Mrs. Fabiyi (late Iya Ijo of All Saints' Church, Osogbo); and Mrs. M.L. Odetola (mother of Professor Tunde Odetola) - all of blessed memory.
They were subsequently greatly assisted by His Majesty, Oba Samuel Adenle 1, The Ataoja of Osogbo and eventual proprietor of the school in the arduous time of finding funding for planning and establishing the school.
It was discovered that funds provided by a few Christians could not provide the strong type of school envisaged, it therefore, became necessary to secure the interest and co-operation of the other people in town at large as well as those of people in the neighbouring towns of Ede, Ikirun, Odo- Otin, and Ifelodun areas of Osun Division.
As there was not a single secondary school in the whole of Osun Division at that time, and as the ministry of Education was stressing the need for all the people of these areas to join hands with Osogbo to establish one, the neighbouring communities also found it necessary to join hands with Osogbo to establish the school. Moreover, the number of primary schools in the whole area could provide the school population sufficient only for a single Secondary Grammar School.
The Osogbo Secondary School movement them devised a system whereby funds could be raised for founding the school. One Mr. Jacob Adeoye was authorized to collect funds from indigenes of Osogbo at home and abroad. This he did on commission basis, of ten percent of collections, plus payment of all his transport fares.
*History of Osogbo Grammar School*
The Osogbo Secondary School movement under the guidance of Oba Adenle, thought it fit for one of the Osogbo “Son” with requisite qualification to be chief executive of the proposed school. Oba Adenle himself knew of only one experienced school-teacher that would soon complete his degree programme then; thus, a letter was written to Mr. Julius Omigbodun in Freetown in 1947, inviting him to come home and head the school as he finished his degree programme the following year.
Earlier on in 1945, Oba Adenle used his personal resources to purchase a landed property vacated that same year by the army, which had used it as a base during the Second World War and magnanimously donated it to the Osogbo Secondary School movement. Oba Adenle also gingered up the traditional rulers of the neighbouring communities to action.
This made the then Olokuku of Okuku, the Akinrun of Ikirun, Timi of Ede and their colleagues to spread the gospel of the need to actively support the efforts of the Osogbo Secondary School movement among their respective people.
Precisely on 7th April 1947, the foundation stone of the first classroom block was laid; and its erection commenced in earnest. It was built with mud and consisted of five classrooms and an assembly Hall. Oba Adenle personally monitored the progress of the building. The block was ready within a short period and awaited the headmaster to be until January 1950.
As soon as Mr Omigbodun came back from Sierra Leone, he reported at the palace and was briefed about the development so far on the school project and the duo later visited the proposed site to inspect the facilities on the ground.The entrance to the site was full of fear: fear of the deadly silence, sounds of reptiles, rodents and birds.
It was through the good offices of Mr. Hunt cooke, the then Senior Education, officer for Ibadan Division that permission was granted to the school, in May 1950, to open.
The school was registered as Osogbo United Grammar School. In consultation with the ministry of Education a steering committee was inaugurated on 21st June, 1950 to manage the school.
Members of the steering committee were drawn from Osogbo, Ede, Ikirun, Odo-Otin and Ifelodun District Council areas.The members present at the first meeting held on 21st, June 1950, were:
- His majesty, Oba Adenle 1 the Ataoja of Osogbo
- His majesty, Oba Adetoyese Laoye 1 the Timi of Ede
- His majesty, Oba Sanusi Araoye, the Olobu of Ilobu.
- J.A Ajayi Esq. retired Nigeria Police Inspector
- S.P Oloyede Esq, District Supervisor of Anglican Schools, Osogbo. Councilor A.O Ojewunmi.
- S.O Ola Esq, protem Secretary
- J.L Omigbodun Esq, Principal – designate
- Mr. W.O Famuyiwa, Chairman Osogbo Secondary School Movement.
The Board of Governors was first constituted on 27th July, 1950; and members present were:
- His majesty, Oba Adenle 1, Ataoja of Osogbo Chairman
- Councilor Bolarinwa
- The Akirun’s nominee, Councilor Adeniyi;
- J.A Ajayi
- W.O Famuyiwa
- S.P Oloyede
- S.O Ola
- J.L Omigbodun
The first entrance examination for the admission of students into the school was conducted by the principal Mr J.L. Omigbodun on 8th July 1950. One hundred and two candidates took the examination and the following eight boys were admitted:-
- Samuel Odegbinrin
- Samotu Salami
- Raufu Ajadi
- Alfred Bamidele Parkinson
- Sunday Samuel Adejoro
- Raimi Lawal
- Timothy Ojo
- Gabriel Ogunrinde
Osogbo Grammar School, started in 1950 with 8 students, two teachers and Ven J.L Omigbodun as its founding principal. The eight boys admitted in July 1950 started in a sort of preliminary class since it was far in the year to commence class one. In 1951 there were twenty-six boys on roll in class one, four of whom were boarders sharing the same building with the principal in Olobado compound, Osogbo. The number of boarders rose to thirteen in 1952, out of forty-nine students on roll.
The first four sets of students that passed through Osogbo Grammar school did not have things easy. The lack of funds seemed to have taken out on the principal, the staff as well as the school-boys. Whilst they had their normal classes between 8.00anm and 1.05pm,the boarders would quickly swallowed their lunch and every student including those attending classes from home were led into the jungle within their school grounds to uproot trees. There was no dodging as “Oga” (master) himself was there in the jungle with them monitoring the felling of the woods….”keep pushing boys”, their principal would shout at them in encouragement; after all, that is the motto of Osogbo Grammar School.
In 1952, Mr I.O Ajiboye joined the staff of the school and thus there were the principal, Mr J.L Omigbodun and two members of staff, Mr D.A Olugunna and Mr I.O Ajiboye to manage the two classes. It was Mr I.O. Ajiboye that started the teaching and practice of Agriculture in the school. In January, 1953 Mr M.B Lapite joined the staff and classes increased to three.
It was also in 1953 that government responded and gave scholarship to the following six boys:
- Samuel Adejoro
- Alfred Bamidele Parkinson
- Ganiyu Salami
- David Oyeyemi
- Olusegun Lanihun and
- Yekini Ajani
Mr E.A Etudeo the first graduate member of the teaching staff joined the school in June 1953 and in 1954 with the class increasing to four the need became pressing to build more classroom blocks and the first of such to be built was the one containing the geography block. It was also in this year that Mr T.A Babalola, another graduate teacher from Ibadan University joined the staff and the school approved for class four by the government.
As a result of the efficient performance shown during the full scale inspection conducted in the school in 1955 by the Education Department, the school was recognized for the West African School Certificate Examination. It was also in 1955 that the first hostel building designated block A, was erected for the boarders.The teaching of science commenced in earnest in 1956 when Mr. L.S. Johnson joined the staff having obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Mathematics of Ibadan University.
It was also in 1956 that the first batch of the school certificate class namely: Messrs Samuel Adejoro, Adeyemi Mosadomi, Alfred Parkinson, Mudasiru Atoba, Ikudaisi Idowu, and Richard Adejoro sat for the West African School Certificate Examination with Messrs Adejoro and Mosadomi passing with grade One, Parkinson and Atoba in grade two and the remaining two failing the examination
It was in the same year as well as that the school became a full secondary school with 151 boys on roll.
Acquisition of more land for development was done by the principal Mr J.L Omigbodun in 1951 and the Ataoja Oba Adenle 1 was most helpful. By 14th of August 1952 the site of the school was surveyed by Mr. O.E Omorogie, the government surveyor from Ibadan and it was approved by the Director of Surveys on 24th of October, 1952.
The site was 56.4 acres in area and was incorporated under the land (perpetual succession).The site now occupied by the new building under construction by Aregbesola was the first farm site and later became a football field
A piece of land measuring up to 5 acres was later devoted for the farm yard with a portion devoted to citrus trees.
The need for building of staff quarters became necessary as house masters had to be appointed to look after the boys in the hostel. Therefore in May 1955 a duplex designed as staff quarters facing the sports field was erected. This was followed by another hostel designated as block B in November 1955.
The school was officially registered as “Osogbo United Grammar School” to reflect the fact that it was the united effort of communities in today’s Osogbo, Olorunda, Ede, Egbedore, Odo- Otin, Ifelodun, Irepodun and Boripe Local Government areas of Osun State that made the School a reality. It was so called “Osogbo United Grammar School” between 1950 and 1953 before the removal of “United” to give the name Osogbo Grammar School.
Towards the close of 1956 the building then known as Quarters No3 was erected near the Iroko tree and in 1958, Quarters No’s 4 and 5 were also erected. More buildings followed up after 1957, the Science Laboratory, and a classroom block containing the reading library in 1960. So also were the Staff Quarters No 6 and then students hotel named block C. In 1962, the block of classrooms facing the science laboratories was completed with staff quarters No’s 7 and 8.
In January 1966, staff quarters no 8 was occupied by Mr J.A Akinlade, an old boy, who was by then one of the teaching staff of the school.
When a small kitchen that was erected hurriedly in 1950 was becoming very unsuitable from the point of view of decency and space, another much larger kitchen, stores and Dining room was erected in 1966 for about four hundred students.
When the founding principal retired in 1970, the school continued another era of development. School population increased as its popularity as a center of academic and athletic excellence grew across the nation. Students were admitted from all over Western Nigeria and many northern states.
The 1970s principals are:
- S.C. Yoloye, 1971-1973
- N.O. Adibi, 1973-1974
- T.O. Obiwumi, 1974-1975
- O.A Gbogboade, 1975-1976
- G.O. Adesina, 1976-1977
- J.L. Popoola, 1977-1980
Throughout the 1970s, the school erected more buildings, including classrooms, staff quarters, a technical trainning laboratory and increased sports amenities.
The Higher School Certificate (HSC) programme that started and stopped in the early 1970s resumed in 1979 under school principal Mr J.L. Popoola.
In the 1980s, the school, under the civilian state administration of Governor Bola Ige, expanded with even more students and subjects, as boarding houses began to shut down under the Unity Party of Nigeria's free education system that prioritised day schooling above boarding schools. A great tradition of bonding and extra-mural activities, therefore, began to decline.
The 1980s principals are:
- T.O Oyebade, 1980-1984
- I.O Ajani, 1984 - 1991
Into the 1990s, HSC was no longer relevant as the Junior and Senior Secondary School system was introduced.
The 1990s principals include:
- A.A. Badmus, 1991-1992
- Oyelakin Lawal,1992-1995
- A.M Fadeyi, 1995 - 2001
From the 2000s, further changes were introduced to extract a model state school from Osograms, with the building of a massive structure on the old football field by the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
Among the 2000s principals are:
- A.O. Adegboye, 2001-2009
- Abebayo Fayoyiwa, 2009-2013
- F.O Ladapo, appointed in 2009
The attempt to divide the school was strongly resisted by the OGS Old Students Association, which sued the state government until the end of the Aregbesola government.
The current state Governor has reinstated a unified school, with the new and old structures now renamed properly as Osogbo Grammar School - under two principals.
The alumni body has been active at restoring the glory of the school through donations and development projects.
Osogbo Grammar School Old Students Association has been giving annual scholarships and payments for the West African School Certificate examination to a large number of students in our recognition of the need to partner with the government to meet the needs of students, parents, staff and community.
The motto of the school was coined from the following poem when the founding principal- Mr J.L Omigbodun, staff and students considered the need to get going in spite of initial difficulties.
Keep pushing! – It is wiser
Than sitting aside
And dreaming and sighing
And waiting the tide
In life’s earnest battle
They only prevail
Who daily march forward?
And never say “fail”
We keep pushing.