Public education in Nigeria has been on a steep decline for a while and Oyo State’s has particularly been lacklustre. From poor infrastructure to overcrowding and hooliganism, it has been one hellish story to another. Still, a very tiny bit of white exists in the blue sky of public schools in Ibadan. If things remain same by the time you finish this article, you may still enroll your child in any of these top public schools in Ibadan while maintaining decent hope of a positive outcome.
1. Wesley College of Science, Elekuro (WESCOS)
A successor to the teacher training college (founded 1905) that produced people like Obafemi Awolowo, it is a science school that is fully boarding. It prides itself on aggregating the most brilliant students from different schools. It is the most sought-after school during the Science Schools examination into Senior Secondary Class 1.
Pros:
· Top class students
· Fully boarding
· A trend of success in external examinations
Cons:
· Quite expensive for a government school
· No Junior Secondary (JS) classes
· No provision for day students
· Only science students
· Poor extracurricular achievements
· Location isn’t upscale
· Fee paying
2. Oladipo Alayande School of Science, Oke-Bola
Another science school similar in profile to Wesley College of Science but with some little differences. Though younger in age and with a less colourful profile, it has provision for day students. Nestled in the busy Oke Bola axis of Ibadan, it doesn’t have the ambiance of other old high profile public secondary schools in Ibadan. The school has however made its mark as a centre of academic excellence and discipline.
Pros:
· Top class students
· Day and boarding
· Well-disciplined students
· Allows for religious freedom
· Quite beautiful uniform
Cons:
· Not so serene environment
· Only science students
· Fee paying
3. St Louis Grammar School, Mokola
An old Catholic school renowned for its pleasing aesthetics and serene environment. It has a history of academic and social excellence built over its many decades of existence.
Pros:
· Serene environment
· Well-disciplined students
· Notably neat students
· Girls only
Cons:
· Heavily relies on past glory
· No males
· Missionary school thus prone to religious discrimination
Website: https://www.stlouisibadan.org/
4. Oyo State Comprehensive Model School, Soka
This is the baby of the lot. This relatively new school is a product of adversity. It grew out of the infamous house of horror at Soka, Ibadan. The Abiola Ajimobi administration made a beautiful school that can easily pass for a private one out of it.
Pros:
· Serene environment
· Low students population
· Beautiful structure
· Co-ed
· Allows freedom of religious practice
· Proximity to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway
· Day and boarding options
Cons:
· New so no alumni body to offer support
· Co-ed so comes with the expected boy-girl issues
· Crossing the expressway is a major issue for young kids
5. Queens’ School Ibadan, Apata
Originally set in Ede, present day Osun State, this is one of the most prestigious public schools in Ibadan. An only-girls school with a rich history of alumni and staff, it used to be the go-to school for the daughters of the crème de la crème.
Pros:
· Serene environment, tucked inside the posh Apata-Oluyole Estate nexus
· Rich history and alumni
· Girls only
· Allows freedom of religious practice
· Day and boarding options
Cons:
· No males
. The short sleeved uniform may be a concern for modest girls
6. Government College Ibadan, Apata
The pride of Ibadan and the South West. The ‘School of Our Pride’ as it is aptly described. It is the male equivalent of Queens’ School in terms of alumni and its catchment. It boasts arguably the greatest repertoire of past students in the entire country. It borders Queens’ School (actually, Queens’ School was established inside Government College).
Pros:
· Nice old-school environment. Very expansive landmass.
· Rich history and a very supportive alumni group.
· Boys only
· Allows freedom of religious practice
· Day and boarding options
· Nice sporting facilities
· Unique uniform
Cons:
· Gradually going private with an almost meddling alumni body
· No females
· Distance to the main gate may be too much for an unhealthy child
7. Command Secondary School, Bode Igbo
A foremost Nigerian Army school that has turned out quite a handful of notables. It is the more prestigious of the Command Schools, the other being the Command Day School.
Pros:
· Nice serene environment with the old school vibes.
· Military discipline and organization
· Coed
· Allows freedom of religious practice
· Great sporting tradition
Cons:
· Fully boarding
· Too far from the city centre
· Kids will need extra monitoring to reduce negative peer influences
8. International School Ibadan, UI
Nigeria’s premier university’s secondary school. It has a long history of academic excellence and standards. It also has a unique plus of schooling international students as the name implies. It has however been in the news for the wrong reasons of religious discrimination lately.
Pros:
· Nice serene environment
· The UI brand
· Coed
· Great academic and social tradition
· An historic niche for foreign students
· Beautiful and unique uniform
UI On Blast: A Hater’s History of the University of Ibadan
Cons:
· Recent bad press due to cases of religious discrimination
· UI-centric
· Too rigid about set standards
9. Airforce Comprehensive School, Iyana Offa
The Nigerian Airforce answer to the Command Schools question. It is everything Command, Bode Igbo is save for even more exclusivity and class. It is one of the very few Airforce schools in Nigeria and also one of their very best.
Pros:
· Very serene environment
· Military discipline and organization
· Coed
· Allows freedom of religious practice
· Elite sporting school
Cons:
· Fully boarding
· Too remote location
10. Loyola Grammar School, Old Ife Road
Another old Catholic school well-known for its history of academic excellence. It also boasts a very impressive list of old boys.
Pros:
· A strong and supportive alumni group
· Rich history
· Boys only
· Good sporting facilities
Cons:
· Heavily relies on past glory
· No females
· Overpopulated
· Missionary school thus prone to religious discrimination
11. Ibadan Grammar School, Molete
Ibadan’s first secondary school (e. 1913) which has lately failed to live up to its billing. It has a pleasant environment as expected of an old generation school. It boasts a very supportive old boys association for a co-ed school. That mismatch can only be matched by the mismatch in the school uniforms of its boys and girls.
Pros:
· Serene environment
· A strong and supportive alumni association
· Rich history
Cons:
· Heavily relies on past glory. There are hardly any new positive stories.
· Coed
· Missionary school thus prone to religious discrimination
· Overpopulated
· High on the delinquency scale
· No boarding facilities
Conclusion on public schools in Ibadan
This is not an exhaustive list and it is in no particular order. There are still a few other schools that should make the “honourable mention” roll of top schools in Ibadan. A lot of them like St Theresa’s College, Anwarul Islam School and Lagelu Grammar School have however fallen behind over time. They have active alumni bodies for example but they haven’t been able to replicate what the GCIs and QSIs have become.
Whichever of the best schools in Ibadan that are public you end up considering for your wards, please ensure you take your time to do actual and physical fact finding. This helps remove your doubts. It also means you build the kid’s foundation on a sound and sure footing.
Do you think we left out any school that should make the list of top public schools in Ibadan? Let us know in the comment section.
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