IIesa grammar school is a co-educational grammar School located in Ilesa Osun State Nigeria, It was founded on the 5th of February 1934 by Egbe Atunluse Ijesa ( Ijesa Improvement Society). The school Originally started informally at a temporary site in igbaye street ilesa Osun state Nigeria, on Monday 29th January 1934 before later moving to, B 191 Okesa street, Ilesa, Osun State. After a competitive entrance examination held on 18th January 1934, 21 Boys were admitted and became the first set of students. The school is presently owned by the Osun state government, but a significant contribution for the school’s development comes from the schools Alumni association.
The process of admission is solely by the common entrance examination, and to graduate from the school, students must have passed the West African Senior School Certificate Examination or National Examination Council (Nigeria). Ilesa Grammar school is a member of the famed AIONIAN brotherhood of schools, that consists of 12 schools in the old Western state of Nigeria.

Historical Perspective

The School was founded by egbe atunluse ijesa which literarily means “Ijesa Improvement Society”.

Olaleye Falore remarked in his book: The story and memoirs of Ilesa Grammar School “The society was made up of youths who believed that the future of the Ijesaman and of the totality of Ijesaland’s development rested on solid educational foundation. Paradoxically, these honourable and public-spirited gentlemen themselves did not have the benefit of Western education.

They saw to the future educational opportunities. The Egbe Atunluse ile Ijesa played a gigantic role in bringing about sporadic changes in terms of civilisation,growth,advancement, improvement and progress of Ijesaland and its people”. On 9th April, 1924 during one of her meetings, a member in person of Dr Oguntola Sapara moved a motion that“emphasis should now be laid on educational matters concerning Ijesa”. This motion was accepted and there was a dream to originate a spring from which will flow a fountain of knowledge which has survived for nearly a century. Dr Ogutola Sapara was the first Ijesa man and ninth Nigerian to qualify as a medical doctor in 1895. The crave for post primary education by Egbe Atunluse ile Ijesa could be traced back to the establishment of primary schools by the missionaries. Notable among such primary schools are St John’s Primary School, Iloro (1888); Methodist Primary School, Otapete (1892).

On Friday 25th July, 1924, the Egbe Atuluse agreed in principle to name the proposed school as “Owa’s National Industrial School”. After several consultations and afterthought, in 1928 it was proposed to be Ijesa Grammar School. However, in the same 1928 Mr J.S. Oginni suggested the name “Ilesa Grammar School” and this was accepted. The choice of “Grammar” school was to distinguish the school from the existing schools at the time. Ondo had Ondo Boys High School while Ile-Ife was to have a College that would be called Oduduwa College. It is worthy of note that between 1965 and 1978 there was an interregnum when the school was called “Ijesa Comprehensive High School”. On Friday 25th July, 1924, the Egbe Atuluse agreed in principle to name the proposed school as “Owa’s National Industrial School”. After several consultations and afterthought, in 1928 it was proposed to be Ijesa Grammar School. However, in the same 1928 Mr J.S. Oginni suggested the name “Ilesa Grammar School” and this was accepted. The choice of “Grammar” school was to distinguish the school from the existing schools at the time. Ondo had Ondo Boys High School while Ile-Ife was to have a College that would be called Oduduwa College. It is worthy of note that between 1965 and 1978 there was an interregnum when the school was called “Ijesa Comprehensive High School”. The choice of the present site was influenced by proximity to the first major street passing through Ilesa in the 16th century. The size of land was to accommodate appreciable number of classroom blocks, laboratories, library, sports facilities, agricultural farms, orchards, boarding facilities and staff quarters. After lots of things were put in place, an entrance examination was conducted on the 18th of January, 1934.

Twenty-one boys were admitted into the new school. Among them were Emmanuel Asaolu (later chenged to Fafowora), Ezekiel Aofolajuwonlo, Elder John Aoko, Enoch Ayeni, Gabriel Aluko-Oluokun, Habibu Karimu, Samuel Doherty, Adolphous Doherty and Eric Mabayoje. The boys were aged between 18-26 yrs and were from diverse backgrounds. Because of the diversity in age, academic backgrounds and their experience, the boys were categorized into 3 classes being class one (3), class two (8) and class three (10). Another entrance examination was conducted on Thursday February 1, 1934 and additional thirteen students were offered admission although not all thirteen eventually registered. On Monday 5th February 1934 in Ilesa, In the years when Sir Donald Charles Cameron was the Governor of Colonial Nigeria, Captain J. A. Mackenzie the District Officer for Ife/Ilesa, and Oba Oduyomade Aromolaran I the Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland; history was made at a special colourful event presided over by the District Officer himself – Ilesa Grammar School was formally birthed bringing into reality, the first secondary school (premier grammar school) in Ijesaland and second in present day (2019) State of Osun (Ref: Ilegrams @ 80). Since the formal opening took place on Monday February 5, 1934 this has always been marked as Founder’s Day till date. After resumption, the boys were told during orientation on how to behave and comport themselves in and outside the school as ‘Grammarians’.