Funmi Ogundare
The Old Grammarians’ Society (OGS) has outlined series of programmes to commemorate the 163Rd Founder’s Day of CMS Grammar School, Bariga.
The activities include; prize-giving celebration for the students and honouring outstanding teachers, as well as launch of the solarization of its perimeter fencing on June 6.
President of the society, Mr. Olu Vincent who briefed journalists, recently in Lagos, recalled when the school was taken over by the Jakande administration in 1979, which he described as one of its darkest moments.
According to him, “during this period, the students of our great school lost all the very best of our traditions and culture.”
As a result, he said some notable old boys of the school were compelled to put pressure on the government for its return to the mission.
The president said an assessment of its infrastructure was done after its return and it revealed a complete devastation. This he said led to the keen infrastructural intervention by the old boys to see to the restoration of its lost glory.
” Consequently, upon return of the school, there was need for massive infrastructural development which we are yet to complete. The old boys believe that they owe the school an obligation to ensure a restoration of the glory of the school. This has been encapsulated in our yearly attestation of loyalty to the school,” Vincent said.
He noted that the Covid-19 pandemic also affected funding of its projects.
“The computerisation projects are in two phases; IT and solarization of the school. we want to make sure that the students go into the world with very strong background in the latest technology. The e-library building will have a stand-by generator,” he said.
“The solar panel is about 60 per cent completed. For the IT, we are going to have a building where students can be trained to learn some skills such as laptop and phone repair, such that by the time they leave secondary school for the university, they are already armed with something that can fetch them a living.”
Other initiatives of the OGS include scholarships to indigent students, mentoring students one-on-one which has helped to reduce vices.
Vincent added that the OGS plans to ensure that the school is residential for students and staff.
The Principal, Rev.Jacob Ogunyinka reteirated that the OGS plans to make the school a model to all boarding schools, adding that it was working towards producing students that can hold their own.
