Staff School

OAU Staff School: Joyous Days

I remember those blissful days of childhood? Good times with friends, secure and happy, not a care in the world. School days in Obafemi Awolowo University Staff School are no sentimental Joyous Days; those times have real affection for its era.

An era we will someday regard as myths and artifacts of our life experiences growing up. What distinguishes OAU Staff School from other schools in our time was the basis of its foundation, or perhaps, the vision of the founding father, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who built University of Ife, now known as Obafemi Awolowo University. This great institution of higher learning is located in the ancient town of Ile-Ife in Osun State (formerly Oyo Sate). It was built in the period when Nigeria was experiencing rapid changes in its economy and its political landscapes, thus, giving emergence to better 'education', a word so ingrained in our national psyche. And in other to provide accessible primary school education to the children of the teachers (lecturers) who teach in this institution, OAU Staff School was born.

What, you may ask me, is what makes this primary school special? The reason: It is located within in a 'learning community', a community specifically designed to nurture OAU Staff School. An academic environment, which is one of the best known and the most beautiful in Africa and unsurpassed by other well-known international academic communities of its kind; the school is located on Road 9 within the residential quarters and it sits 3 miles from the university main campus. You may ask me again, what epitomizes OAU Staff School? My answer: It is the people, which are the boys and girls who attended this institution. These boys and girls are self-motivated, self-organized, self-disciplined and self-confident, these traits could only be developed in an environment where independence and achievement are taught, expected and practiced. If you do not believe me, I have results to show for it.
Many of these boys and girls have gone to become graduates of Obafemi Awolowo University, while many others graduated in the best-known colleges and universities around the world. Other people I would not fail to mention are the teachers and headmistress who oversee the school. Not only are they committed to teaching, but also, they exhilarate discipline and a mind-set that the young, half-civilized things called children must be whipped into shape, if not by stick, but by punishments when they misbehave. Fortunately, I have my own share of my teacher's disposition whenever I was being a bad ass, and I know a lot of you who went through the same, please, do not pretend. I can go on and on to write about the memories of OAU Staff School, however, most students would agree with me that nothing was a memorable as the early morning assembly in the hall where we had to recite the national anthem, the 'grace' and the 'lord's prayer' every morning. The excitement of hearing the break-time bell and the home-time bell at 1:30pm when its time to go home, the annual Father Xmas party, the only day we didn't get to wear the green and white uniform to school and everyone had on their best outfit. The days I enjoyed the most were the inter-house sport practice on the big soccer field. If you agree with me, those were the happiest moments because all students don't have to go to classes. Most classes are dismissed early so that students can go out on the field for practice. Looking back into those years, we have all come a long way, and there is no doubt in my mind; we have all been achievers. Oh! What a joyous day.

Written by Lanre Akinola

Moremi High School 

Moremi High School was founded in 1978 and its not only known for its academic stats, but also for the reputation of the heroine, the secondary school took its name after. The heroine, Moremi Ajansoro is a famous beautiful Yoruba woman in Nigerian History.  She lived in Ile-Ife during the pre-colonial era and made a huge achievement that cannot be ignored. In my time or prior, MHS was known for its academic reputation. And as we students, who attended MHS muscled our achievements and dreams around the world, I bet the gods must be smiling.
Before I proceed, allow me to give a simple and accurate description of the school’s landscape. And perhaps, if you are a true so-called Moremite, you can use your imagination as a guiding compass to follow me.
Assuming you are driving, there are two entrances to Moremi HS,
one is from the West, which is the ‘gate’ coming from ‘Sabo’ (a district in Ile-Ife town) and the other entrance is coming from the East via the OAU Junior Staff quarters road. Assume again you are now driving into the school compound, the school buildings are to the North, and you are facing the school principal’s office, which is a white color turning into brown building. The office, first occupied by the first school principal, Mr J.O Ogunwuyi, who is a strict, disciplined and no-nonsense ‘Oyo accented’ man. He managed the school for almost 14 years, from the years 1978 to 1991. Perhaps, chances are if you entered MHS in 1992, you can’t relate to what am saying, but keep reading. Your older brothers and sisters probably would have told you. Moremites, quote me if I am wrong, this man walks around like he his God. Holding a bunch of key in one hand and a long whip in his other hand with two teachers trailing behind him like bodyguards. But I have to give him his props; this man is charming and always neatly dressed, mostly in a neat conductor outfit. That he seemed like God was without questioning, and how could I tell?

A common scenario: The principal was taking a school tour, and I was chilling with my friends with no care in the world, and for no reason, you could see students just running in disarray for no damn reasons. I myself was cracking up while writing this, but it wasn’t funny then; but do not let me sway you off. Facing the principal’s office, westward is the popular ‘Igbo-cocoa’. A place forbidden by the school authority to any student never to go and if you were seen going or coming out of ‘Igbo-cocoa’, you are termed by the ‘aje -butter’ students as bad and mischievous. Hey! Could there be an element of truth to it, I do not know, but I use to chill there with my buddies. Am I bad, you be the judge?

Eastward is the direction to the physics, chemistry and biology laboratory etc adorned in grey-blue colors dissipating into white due to lack of paint touch-up. Behind the principal’s office is the dusty playground known as the assembly hall. Assembly commences every morning at 8 am for thirty to forty-five minutes with the principal or teachers making special announcements after the students recited the national and the school anthem. The principal stands on an elevated concrete platform facing the assembly where he could see everyone; if you were caught giggling, talking or just acting a fool while he was talking, you would be called up to the platform for some whip ass whooping and watching this was no fun. Mr. Ogunwuyi knew everyone by last name, especially if you grew up in the staff quarters and if you happened to have older siblings who attended Moremi before you, this man could recognize you through kinship resemblance and this made it easy for him to pick you out of the crowd and you could not escape him, for those of you who didn’t fell into this resemblance definition, lucky you.

Adjacent to the imaginary dusty assembly hall, all the way down is the huge soccer field. I can’t think of its usefulness. The only usefulness of this field is when MHS holds its inter-house sport event on it. The inter-house sport competition used to be a huge event in the small town of Ile-Ife, attracting visitors from everywhere and I will forever always remember the yearly valedictory service at Oduduwa Hall, where prizes are been given to the best students in various subjects and the best teacher award etc. The most notable transition I could remember was the change that was made in the school uniform from a white/blue checker shirt to a plain white shirt. If you happened to witness this school uniform change, chances are you could relate to all what I have been saying about Moremi High School. Any memories you might have relating to Moremi HS, which I didn’t bother to mention, keep them to your imagination. Teaching, discipline and delivering good education has been the guiding compass of the Moremi HS. I am proud to me a Moremite after all.
 
Written by : Lanre Akinola