Management of the School
Until 1890 the Missionary Committee managed the school. In that year an agreement was signed between that body and the Lagos Circuit whereby the school was transferred to the latter.
Under the agreement, the Lagos Circuit was to pay to the Missionary Committee for the house, furniture, school appliances, out-houses, and the entire premises an annual rent of four pounds (£4) in equal quarterly instalments and further maintain the entire premises in good and thorough repairs, except repairs which might be needed for the-wall adjoining the Mission House Compound.
The cost of such repairs was to be equally shared between the Mission Committee and the Lagos Circuit. The general Missionary Committee in London agreed to grant to the Lagos Circuit for purpose of running the school a sum of (£100) One hundred pounds for the year 1890,and would continue making grants diminishing by £10 per year up to and including 1899.
It also agreed to make a donation of £10 for 1890 and 1891 respectively; the amountto be paid in four equal instalments. It further agreed to pay to the Lagos Circuit for theboard and education of mission agents-in-training at the rate of £12 per year for each student and with the proviso, that if at any time a surplus remained after meeting all expenses, this should be applied to the purposes of the school at the discretion of the Local Committee. The Committee also reserved to itself the right to revoke the arrangement if it should prove unsatisfactory. Finally, the whole property including buildings, furniture and school appliances were to remain the property of the Wesleyan Missionary Committee and were to revert to that Committee if at any time the arrangement was annulled.
The agreement was signed by John T.F. Halligey, (Chairman and General Superintendent); and on behalf of the Lagos Circuit by A.C. Franklin, (Circuit Superintendent); J.B. Williams, (Circuit Steward)',. G.J. Cole, (Circuit Secretary);
J.S.Leigh, (Treasurer, School Committee). Following this agreement, a Local Committee was appointed for the school, by the Quarterly Meeting of the Lagos Circuit. It consisted of twelve members of the Wesleyan Methodist Society in the Lagos Section of the then Gold Coast and Lagos District. The Treasurer and the Secretary were elected from these twelve. The Committee was to be reappointed or readjusted at the first meeting, of the Circuit Quarterly Meeting held in each year. The Chairman of the Committee was the GeneralSuperintendent of the Lagos District. The 1890 Committee members were J.T.F. Halligey, (Chairman); A.C. Franklin (Vice-Chairman); Messrs. J.S. Leigh, J.S. Bucknor, J.J. Thomas, LB. Williams, H.C. Sawyer, G.T. Cole, J.0. Connor Williams, Chas V. Randle, J.B. Bunyann and C.I.R. Cole. Others that served on the Committee over the years with distinction included Dr. Obasa (appointed Secretary in 1898); J.J. Thomas, C.A. Sapara-Williams, C.J. Porter, (Secretary); and Rev. J.B.L. Lawson, (Secretary).
The composition of the Management Committee has not changed much. With changing times, it was reorganised to include representatives of the Ministry of Education as well as of the Old Boys' Association.
- J.F. Ade Ajayi, 'The Development of Secondary Grammar School Education in Nigeria" in Journal of the Historical of Nigeria. Vol.2, No.4, December 1963, p.504.
It is in these various ways that efforts have been made to provide students with a broad and sound education thereby equipping them for effective roles in their society.