Schools

FREE PRIMARY SCHOOLS: LAGOS COLONY

In August 1954 seven free primary schools were offered to the council by the then colony Education Officer for distribution among Muslim Voluntary Agencies.

The Schools were distributed as follows:

 

  • Mushin-Nawair – Ud – Deen Society
  • Odo- Egiri – Young Ansar-Ud-Deen Society
  • Agege- Ahmadiyya Movement – in – Islam
  • Okokomaiko – Jama-at-Ul Islamiyya
  • Ilado – Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya
  • Iworo – Muslim Mission Community
  • Ikorodu Town (2nd School) – Zumratul Islamiyya

TWO SECONDARY MODERN SCHOOLS

Agege- Ahmadiyya Movement - in - Islam
Epe Young Ansar - Ud - Deen Society

In June 1955, the Council was again called upon to distribute five new unallocated schools which went as follows:-

  •  

    • Lagos Island (1st School) – Ahmadiyya Movement – in – Islam
    • Lagos Island (2nd ) – Young Ansar-Ud-Deen Society
    • Ebute Metta (1st ) – Jama-at-Ul Islamiyya
    • Ebute Metta (2nd ) – Zumratul Islamiyya Society
    • Iwaya Village – Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya
On Sunday 17th July, 1955 with the Constitution coming into force election of officers of the Council was made with the following results:
  • President Al-Hajj Jibril Martin
  • Vice-President – Mr. S. T. Rufai
  • General Secretary – Mr. A. K. Laguda    
  • Assistant General Secretary – Mr. B. Daramola
  • Treasurer Maulvi Nasseem Saifi
  • Financial Secretary – Al-Hajj M. A. Okunnu

COMMITTEES & BOARDS

The Council appointed representatives to the following Committees and Boards:-

BOARD TO LAY DOWN PRINCIPLES GOVERNING 1954 PRIMARY SCHOOL LEAVING CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS
Mr. M. O. Mebude of the Ijebu Muslim Mission, Ijebu-Ode was appointed representative of Muslim interests on the Board.

COMMITTEE FOR FREE UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF LAGOS
The Chairman of the Council of Muslim School Proprietors Al-Hajj Jubril Martin was appointed representative of the Council on the Committee.

JOINT NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE ON TEACHERS’ SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

The General Secretary, Mr. A. K. Laguda was appointed the Council’s representative of the Council on the Committee.

EDUCATION COMMITTEE FOR THE FEDERAL TERRITORY OF LAGOS UNDER THE NEW ORDINANCE ENTITLED THE EDUCATION (LAGOS) ORDINANCE 1957

In a letter No. CEO. 1789/2 of 6/4/57 the Chief Education Officer called for nomination of three representatives of the Muslim Community to serve on the Committee. The following were appointed:- The General Secretary Mr. A. K. Laguda, Al-Hajj M. A. Okunnu and Maulvi Naseem Saifi.

PRIMARY EDUCATION IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF LAGOS
The Chairman of the Council of Muslim School Proprietors Al-Hajj Jubril Martin was appointed representative of the Council on the Committee.

TEACHER TRAINING COLLEGE

At a meeting held on the 14th August 1955 a decision was taken that the Council should open Teacher Training College for Elementary and Higher Elementary Teachers’ Certificate. The College was to be financed by the Council and should fit teachers to teach not only secular subjects but also Religious Knowledge and Arabic. To meet the project a special contribution of £200 (Two Hundred Pounds) per member organisation was raised. Forty- seven acres of land was acquired at Oru in Ijebu-Od for the College for Boys and another 50 acres of land at Abeokuta for girls under negotiation.

MUSLIM TEACHER TRAINING COLLEGE, SURU-LERE

On the invitation of the Chief Education Officer, Lagos, Muslim Voluntary Agencies met at the Education Office, Lagos in December 1956 to discuss the proprietorship of the proposed Muslim Teacher Training College, Suru-Lere. A decision was taken that the Council of Muslim School Proprietors should be the Proprietor of the college. The College was opened on the 3rd of March 1958 with 54 students and Mr. D. A. Okposio as Acting Principal at Muslim Teacher Training College, Apapa where it was temporarily accommodated with tables and seats loaned from Ansar-ud-Deen College, Isolo. A Pakistani Muslim, Mr. Abdul Majid Bhatti, B.A.B.T., Diploma in Teaching English from London University latter took over the Principalship of the College May, 1958. Other members of the College staff were Messrs. S. B. Giwa and D.N.C. Okoye.

MUSLIM TEACHER TRAINING COLLEGE, ORU, IJEBU – ODE

In 1961 the Council of Muslim School Proprietors founded Muslim Teachers Training College, Oru, Ijebu-Ode.Because the Council of Muslim School Proprietors in that year was not an Approved Voluntary Agency in the Western Nigeria nominated Ijebu Muslim Society (which is a member organisation of the Council) as its Agent and Proprietor of Muslim Teachers T.C. Oru on the 6th November 1968 the Council applied and obtained approval as a Voluntary Agency.

Consequently, the Proprietorship of Muslim Teachers Training College returned to the Council and the file containing all relevant documents on the College handed over to the Council by the General Secretary of Ijebu Muslim Society Late Mr. M. O. Mebude.

COUNCIL OF MUSLIM SCHOOL PROPRIETORS HAND AT ABEOKUTA

The Council’s proposal to build additional Teacher’s Training College in Abeokuta under the Universal Primary Education Scheme in 1975 was rejected by the Western State Government. Consequently, the Council decided to build an Islamic Centre which would have Islamic Training College, Library, Hostel and Hall on the land and mandated an Adhoc Committee comprising Alhaji K. B. Shomade, Mr. Bhnyamin A. A. Adams, Secretary, Alhaji Y. O. Bashorun, Alhaji A. Y. A. Jinadu, Mr. B. Daramola and Alhaji Imam Chief S. S. Abiola Ishola to work out details of the new proposals. The Adhoc Committee acted positively. But the proposal did not materialise because the Federal Military Government acquired large portion of the land along with others when Ogun State was created. An Edict was later promulgated and the Council submitted application to the State Military Government claiming interest in the land.

CHANGES IN THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE COUNCIL.

The present 12 membership organisations structure was as a result of withdrawal of membership of Chief Salami Memorial School from the Council in 1976 and enrolment of Shamsudeen Islamic Society in 1967, Ansarul- Islam Society of Nigeria in July 1973 and that of Madrasat Mubarak of Kwara State in 1975.

HIGHLIGHT OF ACHIEVEMENTS

During the period under review, the Council has recorded concrete physical and educational achievement and enhanced teaching of Islamic Religious Knowledge and Arabic Studies in all Schools of member organisation too numerous to mention in this short treatise.

(a) Universal Primary Education Scheme

In 1976 the Council prepared a Memorandum on the subject and forwarded copies to the Federal Ministry of Education and Ministries of Education of the nineteen states.

(b) Lagos State Advisory Board of Education

Also in 1976 at the request of Ministry of Education Lagos State Council nominated 4 persons: Alhaji Y. O. Bashorun, Alhaji I. A. Thanni, Alhaji S. B. Dabiri and Alhaji J. A. Gbadamosi for the Government to select any three of them.

(c) Closure of Grade II Teacher Training Colleges in Western Region

In 1968 as a result of the efforts of the rep ntatives of the Council of Muslim School Proprietors and those of Ansar-ud-Deen Society two Muslim Colleges M.T.T.C., Oru, Ijebu-Ode and Ansar-ud-Deen Otta were not closed.

(d) Western State Regional Advisory Board of Education

In 1968 Messrs. M. O. Mebude represented Council of Muslim School Proprietors on the Western State Regional Advisory Board of Education.

(e) Recognition of Council of Muslim School Proprietors as a Voluntary Agency in W. S.

On the recommendation of Western State Advisory Board of Education the Permanent Secretary, W. S. Ministry of Education in his letter No. EDU/545/ 135 of 6/5/68 recognised Council of Muslim School Proprietors as a Voluntary Agency in the Western State.

(f)Primary Schools Review Committee, Western State

The Council of Muslim School Proprietors submitted memorandum dated 10/11/67 to the Primary Schools Review Committee, Western State in response to Western State Ministry of Education Circular letter Ref. No. 4194/27 of 18/8/67

(g) Composition of State and Local School Boards

On the 20th February, 1969 a delegation of Council of Muslim School Proprietors comprising Alhaji S. B. Dabiri, Messrs A. Y. A. Jinadu and Y. O. Bashorun met representatives of Western Region Ministry of Education made up of Mr. A. O. Adebayo Permanent Secretary, Minsitry of Education, Mrs. Teju Alakija Acting under Secretary, Ministry of Education and M. B. O. Rotimi, Acting Assistant Chief Inspector of Education to protest non inclusion and inadequate representation of Muslims and members of the Council of Muslim School Proprietors in the State and Local School Boards.

 (h) Return of Schools to their Former Proprietors/Owner

At its Emergency General Meeting on Thursday, 9th August the Council of Muslim School Proprietors, 11 out 12 organisations that constitute the Council resolved and reaffirmed their opposition to the return of Schools to former proprietors, Missions and individuals as announced by Lagos State Commissioner of Education at a Press Conference on 6th August, 2001

(i) Visit to Hon. Commissioner of Education, Lagos State On 25th September, 2003 a delegation of Council of Muslim School Proprietors paid a courtesy visit to the Commissioner and after exchange of pleasantries discussed extensively the following (1) Government responsibility to Private and Public Schools (2) Acute shortage of classrooms resulting in over crowded classroom (40-60 students) (3) Shortage of Laboratory of Teachers (4) Shortage of Library (5) Training and retraining (6) Replacement / Refurbishing of Decaying Facilities / Infrastructure (7) Appointment of Board of Governors to all Schools as a means of improving the quality of education (8) Re-organisation of Inspectorate Division.

And all these we have done creditably for the Past four decades of our existence especially in the different States in which our member organisation have established schools. We also established two Muslim Teacher Training Colleges at Surulere, Lagos, and Oru, Ogun State. These were taken over by Lagos State and Ogun State Governments respectively and later phased out from the system of education. The late Alhaji Jibril Martin, the indefatigable Islamic Leader led the Council in its formative years, followed by Alhaji S. T. Rufai and Alhaji L. A. Salami.

When the various Governments of the Federation took over schools from all School Proprietors – Muslims, Christians and individuals in early 1970s, the Council of Muslim Proprietors of Schools thought seriously of a scheme that would ensure that Muslim children received Islamic instructions in State Schools. Since the Federal Government in 1986 decided to allow individuals and missions to build new schools if they wished, the Council of Muslim School Proprietors decided to raise funds to build a secondary school of international standard.

At its quarterly meeting held in Lagos at Ansar-Ud-Deen mosque, Ajao Street, Surulere, on April 19th 1987, the Council set up a Committee on the proposed Muslim International School with Alhaji Prof. Aliu Babatunde Fafunwa as Chairman. The Committee was empowered to co-opt other Muslim brothers and sisters who mighty be helpful in furthering the cause of the project.

 

To this end, about forty-six (46) were co-opted and assigned to various sub- committees set up by the Committee at its inaugural meeting held at Alhaji Prof. A. B. Fafunwa’s residence in August 1987.
The following sub-committees were established consisting of prominent Muslim educationists, lawyers, doctors, engineers, architects, communications, business men and accountants:

(a) Curriculum Sub-committee        –  Sheik Afeez Abou

(b) Fund Raising Committee             –  Late Alhaji R. A. Folam

(c) Land Search Committee               –  Alhaji R. G. A. Oyekan

(d) Publicity Committee                     –  Alhaji Y. O. Bashorun

The Council’s joy and happiness knew no bounds at the turning of the sod of the school at Moleefon, Iwo, Osun State, on Sunday 12th April, 1994.

Muslim International School, Iwo

According to report the Muslim International School, Iwo which opened in 1996 presented candidates for four different examinations at both junior and senior secondary levels in the years 2002 and 2003. These are:-

(i) Osun State Junior School Certificate Examination

(ii) NECO Junior School Certificate Examination, conducted by the National Examination Council (NECO)

(iii) West African School Certificate Examination conducted by WAEC and

(iv) The Senior School Certificate Examination conducted by the NECO

The Council congratulates Alhaji Prof. A. B. Fafunwa, Chairman of the Committee on Muslim International School and all members of COMIS for their dedication to this worthy cause.
The Council prays that the school would serve not only the educational, social and spiritual needs of the nation but also the growth of Islam and its culture.

May Almighty Allah in His Infinite mercy reward everyone that has contributed towards the building of the Muslim international School, Iwo.

Maa Salam.