Manpower Problems in Osanyin's Era

The main problem that confronted newly established schools in those days was how to get suitably qualified teachers. The Colonial Office, (Education Division) refused to register Offa Grammar School as a centre for the University of Cambridge’s School Certificate Examination until the school got adequate number of suitable teachers. Mr. J.A. Osanyin was faced with the difficult problem of getting such teachers, at least one of whom must be a University graduate.

When he could not get graduate teachers, he had to recruit teachers of "all grades and kinds", some of who were still at the final stages of their Graduate final examinations in Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone, or the University of London or Cambridge. However, the school was eventually approved as an examination centre, but was not given an examination centre number! That meant that he had to take his six students to another school to sit for the examination. In 1951, he took his first batch of students (comprising; SA Adebiyi, IA Fadiji, YA Oyeleke, TA Oyelola, YF Oyeyemi and FO Sofoluwe) to Ilesha Grammar Schod, which was established in 1934.

He was able to solve the problem of lack of teachers by the strategy of sponsoring the best students from the school for further studies. So, some of these outstanding students were sponsored for the HSC courses, and to the University on bond. This implied that such students, on the completion of the courses or degrees, were obliged to work for the school for two or three years.

Among those that benefited from the scheme were WOA Nasiru, FK Marshall, who was one of the foundation science teachers, JK Faluyi and Mr. Aboaba, who died in active service in Offa Grammar School. Some of them actually served the school for over 15 years, far in excess of their obligations under the bond. The abilities of the teachers were utilized to the fullest, and it is to their credit that they performed very well indeed.

One important thing that the principal did on assuming office was to remove the school from the control of Ilorin Provincial Education Department to the Regional one in Kaduna in 1950. This led to the dissolution of the Local Board of Governors and its replacement with a more effective body. There being no longer a need for the post, Rev. Ludlow also relinquished his position as Special Adviser to the school. The salaries of the staff, though meagre, were now the responsibility of the Regional Government in Kaduna. Small grants also started to trickle in for the running of the school.

In 1952, the Cambridge University in collaboration with the Federal Government (then, the Central Colonial Administration) decided to localize the Senior Cambridge Examination. This culminated in the establishment of the West African Examinations Council. Through this examining body, OGS got a centre number, which was 8508. Thus, the annual "Pilgrimage" of final year students to Ilesha stopped.

Later in 1956, as luck would have it, in spite of the numerous constraints - such as accommodation, finance, staff, etc., all the 22 students who entered for the WASCE succeeded brilliantly. With such an excellent result in 1956, Offa Grammar School had made a name. An image had been built and the school had become a force to be reckoned with in the Northern and other regions of Nigeria.