ST ANTHONY’S CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL, ILESA.

HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL.

PREAMBLE

As a result of the remarkable and observable constant performance of their children/wards in the Franciscan Nursery/Primary school, ilesa. The parents motion the idea of establishing a secondary school which they believed would be capable of achieving enviable standards.

Continuity and distance in the pursuit of their children’s education were other conceivable factors. In one of P.T.A. meetings the idea was tabled and the catholic mission accepted the challenges that the establishment of a High School might pose. It will be recalled that Reverend Sister Gerard O’ Donnell was the school Administration then and she left no stone unturned in ensuring that the age-long idea of the parents of the primary school was concretised and crystalised. It is no exaggeration to opine that Rev. Sr. Gerard O’Donnell was the doyen, mentor, the moving spirit and the central figure behind the establishment of what is now known as St. Anthony’s Catholic High School today.

LAYING OF THE FOUNDATION

The foundation laying ceremony of the school at its more copious permanent site along Ilesa-Iyemogun road, near Ilesa East Local Government Secretariat, was perfomed on 17^th July, 1996 by His Lordship Most Rev. (Dr) Gabriel ‘Leke Abegunrin, Bishop, Catholic Diocese of Osogbo the proprietor.

OPENING

The school officially took off on 6^th January, 1997 following a preparatory classes spanning three months, October to December, 1996 under the supervision of Rev. Sr. Gerard O’Donnell and the vice principal elect Rev. Sr. Margaret A. Alokan. The school occupied the mission’s building lying on the South East and South-West end of Franciscan Nursery/Primary, Ijofi, Ilesa. The provisional letter of approval is Ref.O S P S/012/232 dated 20^th January,1997.

THE TURBULENT FIRST SESSION

The first session demanded a lot of sacrifices and selflessness on the part of both students and teachers. This was due to the fact that the academic work contents for the session must be satisfactorily completed hence the session had to be extended to the end of August, 1997.

Enrolment figures at the end of the first year stood at 75, made up of 36 boys and 37 girls. Today the figure has risen to about 544 made up of 291 boys and 253 girls.

P.T.A

The school is blessed with a virile, dynamic and ever-ready P.T.A. parents would not only attend meetings punctually but would contribute meaningfully in the matters affecting the developmental programmes of the school.

 DISCIPLINE

The tone of discipline is reasonably high. In fact, the parlance ‘Example is better than precept’. Is the controlling factors, and with prayer God continues to take perfect control of the behavior of both teachers and students.

There has never been any serious act of indiscipline apart from display of youthful exuberance by a few students. As far as personal appearance is concerned teachers are teaching the students the mode of proper dressing by examples. As a matter of policy, for instance teachers in the school must always appear in a simple and neat dresses devoid of vulgarity and ostentatiousness.

PERSONNEL

Since the school was founded, the following have been principal at one time or the other;

1. Chief Lawrence Ogedengbe (1997 - 2006)
2. Fr. Martins Obiyemi (2006 - 2008)
3. Fr Ambrose Olasinde (2008 - 2012)
4. Fr Anthony Olagoke (2012 - 2014)
5. Fr Ambose Olasinde ( 2014 - 2017)
6. Fr Cyril Oni ( 2017- till date)

CONCLUSION

I make bold to declare that the school is making progress by leaps and bounds and is trying to create standards in all aspects of educational development, academically and morally. A substance of this trend would, no doubt, augur well for the future advancement of the school.

PHILOSOPHY OF THE SCHOOL.

1. It was established purely on humanitarians ground and non – profit oriented. The main focus was to provide quality and moral education at affordable cost to those children whose parents cannot afford sending them to elitist schools.

For this reason the chargeable fees are comparatively low without sacrificing standards while the welfare of the workers has always been given priority attention.

In order to encourage  and gear up competitive spirit among the students. Scholarship scheme is being planned to a few outstanding and deserving indigent students.

2. The school was founded with a vision to giving high quality education to children just leaving the primary school as well as promoted and invoke moral value in them.

3. To teach or lead the students in a manner that emphasizes diligence, morality, justice and good citizenship.

Rev. Fr. Cyril Oni

PRINCIPAL