A Crowded School Life

I remember arriving at Government College, Ibadan in January 1966, quite excited about the prospect of attending the premier institution in the then Western Region of Nigeria. I was also slightly apprehensive as I was the only student from my old primary school who gained admission. I would have to make new friends.
I knew that there were several students from Ebenezer Primary School, Oke Ado, which was located opposite my old school, Baptist Day School, Oke Ado. I knew a few of the students, and could easily relate with them.

I was allocated to Swanston House. My memories of Government College can be divided into three phases - the junior years (forms 1 & 2), the middle years (forms 3 & 4) and the senior years (forms 5, lower 6th and upper 6th).

Government College has a very strong sporting heritage, and every student was expected to participate in sports every day between the hours of 4.30 p.m. - 6 p.m., either at house or school level Having started in January, which was the athletics season, I remember each student being allocated to a running group for early morning training. This started at 6 a.m. with the sound of the wake up bell Students would tumble out of their beds into their running kits and trainers before assembling behind the group leaders on the lawns in front of the dormitories. This usually evoked either excitement or groans. We eventually became used to it as we built up our fitness preparatory to the inter-house athletics competition.
Inter-house athletics competition involved both track and field events. Every student was expected to take part in three events to a minimum standard to register points towards the total for his House. Based on height, juniors were allocated to different groups, either Junior A or Junior B. The desire to see his house triumph and feel a sense of contribution would make many students strive beyond their normal abilities in order to attain the minimum standard required to score points for their houses. I remember the excitement as we all gathered around the jumping pits and finishing tapes as various groups completed their events with the teachers in charge ticking off the results of each student's achievement.

The two memorable events at this time of the year for each boy was the allocation of a mentor ("house teachers' /Tior), usually a 4th form student who helped you to settle into the house routine and learn the house culture, and the 'house test' to see how much you had learnt about the traditions and culture of your House.
Each junior student was allocated 'house chores'; this could include sweeping the dormitories and the house paths or cleaning the toilets. You were also allocated responsibility for a rectangular portion of the house lawns which you mowed with a cutlass, popularly referred to as flying blades or "oja agba" (lawnmowers were reserved for the school fields). This therefore required students to learn how to manage their time, as you could only go to breakfast after you had completed your chores. Where this did not happen it wasn't uncommon to see boys stuffing the rest of their loaves of bread into the pockets of their shorts and running up the road with their cup of tea or cocoa, as they finished their breakfast on the way back on the house grounds, to collect their books and head to the main hall for school assembly.
There was so much going on in the life of the average student that before you knew it you had already completed your first term at GCI.
The next two terms were spent consolidating your place as a useful member of your house. Some students found this easy while a minority struggled with boarding house life.
We also spent a lot of time exploring the old school blocks on the pretext of seeking quiet spots to study for exams. More time was spent exploring and eating the abundant fruits growing there than any actual school work.

At the end of that first school year we had a rather pleasant surprise. Extra provisions from the school stores were distributed to students, so you ended up with pockets of tins of peak milk and packets of "pako" biscuits to take home. It was certainly a rather privileged existence. Needless to say this was the only time it would happen!

The middle years were about taking on some responsibility for the younger students, aspiring to playing for the Colts Teams or second eleven teams in sports such as hockey, football or cricket. It was also the time for sorting out WASC choices. In your 4th year you became a mentor to some first year students who would be incorporated into your house 'family'. You had other members of your house family from 2nd year students to sixth form looking to make sure the junior ones were coping with house and school life.

I had played table tennis for the house and school teams from my first year in GCI, and I continued this right up to medical school.

Very few teams played hockey and cricket in Western/Oyo State, therefore the GCI teams usually represented the state in schools competitions. Many of our students would go on to play for the Oyo State Senior Teams in Hockey and Cricket.

I was fortunate to play for the national team in my lower sixth form with other old boys of GCI such as the Justice Zai Smith and the late Darkwah Abidoye. I was aware that other old boys such as Mr. Adewale Sangowawa, Mr. Yemo Adeniji and Mr. Adebayo had played in the national hockey teams. Many more would follow, such as Toks Sangowawa and Biodun Ali. Being a sports man certainly had its privileges, both in terms of the 'special diets' you got in school and the opportunity to travel to other states for competitions.

I managed to add both hockey and cricket, as well as lawn tennis, to the sports I played at GCI, at school and some at state level, right up to university Looking back I wish I had had a Counsellor to advise me to scale down on the sports as it definitely was impacting my academic work.

Sixth form brought more responsibilities, first as deputy Head of House and subsequently Head of House, serving as a School Prefect and Head of Swanston House. 1972 was both humbling and challenging as you had to be a guide, a mentor, a motivator and sometimes disciplinarian to many students under your charge. You were the bridge between the students and the house and school authorities.

You had no management training, and had to learn on the job to perform whatever managerial assignment fell on you as a Senior Boy, whether as head of room, house prefect, sports captain or school prefect.

All in all, GCI was a wonderful experience. We had a privileged education, although we did not fully appreciate it at the time. There was certainly a lot to thank God for, most especially the enduring friendships that have continued over the years.


Culled from "Looking Back and Looking Forward" - a 1966 Set Publication.