CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE EDUCATION BY 2023

In the last few months, our organization focused on the conversion and refurbishment of the old Physics Laboratory into an Agriculture/General Science Laboratory to strengthen the teaching of Basic General Science as a stimulating preamble and preparatory course for Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Information Technology and also stimulate and encourage the students in agriculture and food production. This focus also aligns with our Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) paradigm in moving our School to the goal of making the School a Center of Excellence in Science Education. We are happy to report that the refurbishing work has been completed and we are in the process of equipping the laboratory and recruting quality teachers of Science and Agriculture to supplement the existing teachers in the School. Our organization is also embarking on recruiting additional Mathematics teachers for the teaching of further (additional) Mathematics which is very critical to courses and careers in Engineering and Information Technology. We continue to support the five supplementary teachers earlier hired by our organization.

During the last quarter, for a robust educational development and morale among the student population, we have focused our attention on indigent students of the School by providing the following to 100 indigent students:

• School uniforms 
• School bags and backpacks
• Sandals, belts, socks and shoes

The Welfare Committee of the Association which has undertaken the above project has also taken measures to help with the delivery of much-needed ophthalmological care to an indigent student of the School to enable the student focus on his studies and boost his morale.

During this quarter, the Association will be focusing on refurbishing and equipping the old physics laboratory  and turning it into a General Science and Agricultural Laboratory in furtherance of our STEAM project and our goal of making Ibadan Grammar School a Center of Excellence in Science Education. We will also continue recruiting, training and supporting of the additional teachers hired by the Association to complement the School's regular teachers of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Computer Science and Information Technology and English Language and Literature.

• Continuous sponsorship of five additional teachers to supplement the School's faculty in the teaching of Chemistry, English Language and Literature, Technical Drawing, Data Processing and History as part of our Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) program for the School.

• Training of the students in Python programming language in adition to learning new skills in the building of Automated Teller Machines (ATM), a calculator and measuring the Body Mass Index (BMI), thus enabling them to learn and develop soft skills as teamwork, leadership, critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving to complement their hard skills.

• Engaging the students in the miniature production of Bio-gas.

• Organizing a Send Forth program for the graduating Senior Class of 2021 including a Career Seminar titled "Beyond Here and Now" on Monday, October 4, 2021. In addition, three academically-outstanding students (male and female) of that graduating Senior Class of 2021 were also awarded full scholarships for studies in Chemical Engineering, Computer Science and Economics in three Nigerian Universities. The award of scholarships will be on an annual basis for the three academically-outstanding students (male and female) in the Senior Class.

• Partnering with Tech Girls Club and Success Waymarks Foundation to enable 100 female students of Ibadan Grammar School participate in this year's United Nations' International Day of the Girl Child scheduled for October 11, 2021, so they can benefit from this year's theme of: "Digital Generation, Our Generation- Owning Opportunities and Challenges".       

• Organization and hosting on an in-house  "train-the trainer" program at the School premises with nine facilitators who are lead examiners for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), headed by the Head of the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and attended by forty-nine teachers spread across the subjects of English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Economics, Finance/Accounting, English Literature. This program was set up to target effective teaching methodology of these subjects to Junior and Senior High School students to enable them understand and perform creditably in the national examinations thus enhancing their potentials and opportunities to advance their education at the tertiary level of education.

• Provision of extramural classes for the current senior students getting ready to sit for their West African School Certificate Examination to make up for the unavoidable absence from School and the significant impact on their education in the past one year due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

• Organization of an essay competition for all levels of the Senior High School (SS1 to SS3) as part of our program for the development of a broad-based education including liberal arts, to foster the love and development of the necessary literary skills in the students of Ibadan Grammar School. 

• Recruitment and onboarding of IGSOSANA-sponsored teachers in English, History, Data Processing and Technical Drawing. This is in addition to the already recruited teachers in Chemistry and Mathematics who  came on board in June 2020 and have been making significant impact on the grades of the students in Science subjects. The newly-recruited teachers are all highly qualified college graduates and national examiners in their various disciplines and prior to this recruitment exercise, Ibadan Grammar School Senior School (Senior High School) did not have teachers in History, Data Processing and Technical Drawing for several academic years. We envisage that the addition of these teachers will augment and facilitate the teaching and practical instructions in Information Technology and Technical Education in addition to a broad-based education with a core in the Sciences. 
• Creation of a monetized incentive program to encourage the best-performing teachers based on feedback from the students, Heads of Department and the School Principals (Junior High and Senior High) and student grades/quarterly improvement data as a measure of performance evaluation.
• Award of books and monetary prizes to outstanding students for excellence in the various Science and Technical subjects, History, English Language, Sportsmanship, Civic Responsibility and Leadership.
• Engaging the School in the regular taking of inventory of the equipment and reagents and adequate stocking of materials in the Physics, Chemistry and Biology laboratories.
• Ensuring the regular maintenance and productive use of computers in the IT laboratory by the teachers and students.