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Brief History of Ekiti State Government College, Ikere-Ekiti

Broadly speaking the Ekiti State Government Colleges are offshoots of the old Ondo State Unity Schools established in September 1985 by the State Ministry of Education. At the time of their establishment, the founding fathers wanted Secondary institutions which would par with the Federal Government Unity secondary schools, popularly known as Federal Government Colleges. Among other reasons, they were equally meant to serve as model schools which would set excellent academic standard for others to emulate in all ramifications Apart from the above they were also to inculcate good moral and other virtues which would ensure peaceful co-existence among our youth throughout the country. Each student enjoys his or her fundamental human rights. The college communities are such that no student experience any form of denial, intimidation or Oppression. The authorities of the college always ensure that all students enjoy all the facilities and amenities at her disposal equitably. With these broad-spectrum laudable objectives to be achieved, the college have to be unique in a sense, and indeed they are. In order to achieve this, the government decided that all students are to be boarders for proper monitoring and guidance.

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE COLLEGES

In 1985 when the government of the old Ondo State felt that enough Grade ll teachers had been produced, the more reason the National Policy on Education had already specified that the least qualified teacher in Primary School level must be holder of NCE in consequence of this, the existing of Ten Teacher Training Colleges in the State appeared irrelevant with the burning desire of our people to have model Unity Secondary Schools in the State, nine of such defunct Teacher Training Colleges with their enormous facilities were immediately converted and put into the use as Unity Secondary Schools in September 1985. Initially, the management of the Unity Secondary Schools was left in the hands of the Central Schools Board/Teaching Service Commission while the officers they were under the Nigerian Union of Teachers. There was virtually not much difference between the happenings in the Unity Secondary Schools and other public Secondary schools excepts that they operated full boarding facilities with full control of their students. In the wake of teachers’ Sporadic industrial unrest in 1993 in the State with the NUT'S various splinter groups, the most affected institutions were the Unity Secondary Schools where students had to hurriedly travel to distant places which were various location of their parents and guardians under great risk and stress. As a result of this very awful Situation, the government decided to reappraise the condition of the Unity Secondary School in the area of management and staffing by taking the bull by the horn. In April 1995, the old Ondo State Government through an edict transferred the management of the institutions from Teaching Service Commission to the Ministry of Education and the Civil Service Commission. In essence, all officers that would have to serve in the Unity Schools would have to be civil servants, hence the NUT industrial action would no longer have effects on the schools and staff, while all officers who were not prepared to join the civil Service were disengaged. On 1 October 1996, Ekiti State was created, while four of the nine Unity Secondary Schools existing in the old Ondo State fell within its jurisdiction, namely at Ado, Ikere, Oye and Usi. The government of Ekiti State and the State Ministry of Education have both held the issue of Education which is Considered as the main industry 'of Ekiti people as been sacred. Therefore, the affairs of the four Colleges have not been treated with levity. In December 1997, the State Government decided to change the name of the Schools from Unity Secondary to State Government Colleges as a way of enabling the public to be more aware of its full ownership and control of the institutions. Efforts have been on in the Ministry of Education while additional basic infrastructures are being provided to improve the living condition of the Students and enhance teaching and learning. It is the aspiration of the government and the Ministry of Education in the State that these colleges must provide high Standard of education comparable with what obtains in the Federal Government Colleges. In order to ensure that this is achieved, high quality and qualified staff are regularly deployed to the college to teach the students. In the State today, it is very gratifying to observe that the Colleges have continue to take the lead in external examination conducted by either the West African Examination Council (WASSC) or by the Ministry of Education the (JSCE). Apart from this, the students of these colleges have equally been taking the lead in various inter-school debate and quiz competitions organized by the State Radio Corporation. The State Government College, Ikere-Ekiti is situated at the site of the defunct Ekiti Teacher Training College, Oke Osun, Ikere-Ekiti. It therefore inherited the assets/facilities of the Teacher's College E.g. Blocks of Classrooms, Dormitories, Library, Lecture Theater, Staff Quarters, Assembly Hall, Dining Hall, Recreational Amenities, Vehicles etc. The school was split into Junior and Senior Secondary in September, 2004 because of the National policy on Education with different administrators Mrs. Ala F.A. was the first Principal of Ekiti State Government Junior College, Ikere-Ekiti. January 2019, the present Principal Mr. Olakunle Ogunniyi took over.