Principal's Speech at 2015 National OGSOSA Conference

Principals Progress Report Delivered on the Occasion of the 2015 Annual National Conference of the Offa Grammar School Old Students Association (OGSOSA) at Sofoluwe Hall on Saturday 9th May, 2015

Our gathering here today is an absolute testimony of God's mercies and protections over our lives since the last conference. Therefore, I must start by glorifying the Almighty God for enabling us to witness this day. I am particularly pleased and delighted to welcome distinguished and accomplished members of the Old Students Association as well as other invited guests to our great Institution. I also feel overwhelmed and honoured to be given the opportunity to address this august body. Your interest and love for your alma-mater has a significantly positive correlation with the educational and infrastructural development of the school and the present generation of Students are the better for it. Not many schools in the present day Nigeria will count themselves lucky to be so blessed as ours. At this juncture, I must pay glowing tributes to the veterans and past leaders of OGSOSA living and dead for their sacrifices while they were at the helm of affairs. It is not long ago that we lost to death one of our foremost President, Chief Jide Falokun whose funeral ceremony was hugely attended by the entire Staff and Students of the school. May his soul and those of all other deceased members of your association continue to rest in peace and may the labour of these heroes never be in vain. On behalf of the Staff and Students, I am particularly pleased with the support we have received from you as well as your huge investment in the education of these Students.

School Population

The current school population is 2468,comprising of 1206 and 1262 Students from the JSS and SSS respectively out of which only 52 are boarders. The school is most sought after by admission seekers of secondary education status due to its infrastructure and academic exploit. The latest rehabilitation workdone by the CBN which was completed in 2014 and the donation of a block of six classrooms by AGIP have added value to the school. The dotting presence of the Old Students Association in various spheres of school life is unparalleled.

The Staff strength for the JSS and SSS is 46 and 42 respectively with additional three teachers employed by the OGSOSA since September 2012 and another two teachers recently employed by the class of 1970/74 set mandated to teach English Language and Mathematics in the school effective from January and to last till July this year and with a possibility of renewal by the set at the end of the session. In addition to this, the school secured the services of Youth Corps members with monthly stipends to stimulate them for better productivity. The school equally secured the services of two teachers and four security guards to complement what is on ground.

Challenges

One of our most crucial needs which is our bane is the lack of perimeter fencing of the school that will confine our Students and checkmate vice habits like truancy, lateness to school, sneaking in and out of the school at odd hours. Infact, most of the disciplinary problems being addressed by the school are traceable to lack of adequate perimeter fencing. We are thankful to God that all acts of indiscipline exhibited by our Students are not beyond what we can tackle as majority of the Students have been reformed through meting out appropriate punishment and consultations with their Parents. Other challenges trailing this are inadequate Staff in some critical subjects, arbitrary transfer of teachers without replacement, inadequate sporting facilities to practice during sports and games. The female hostel that was ironically left out of the CBN rehabilitation has depreciated and the extensively leaking roof tops have defied all manners of repair and are therefore beckoning for large-scaleassistance. The old school Bus that is grounded in the school need to be done away with or rehabilitated to functional status to prevent further deterioration.