Queen's College, Lagos

Queen's College, Lagos, is a government-owned girl's secondary (high) school with boarding facilities, situated in Yaba, Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria. Often referred to as the "sister college" of King's College, Lagos, it was founded in 1927, when Nigeria was still a British colony.

There are six forms, or grades; each form contains about 600 students divided into several arms. Recently, class sizes have reduced to an average of 40 per class. The total population for the 2006/2007 session was 2,160 students.

The school has returned the best results nationwide in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) seven times since 1985 and is widely considered to be one of the top schools on the African continent. Its alumni include doctors, engineers, and lawyers who live and work all over the world including the United States, UK, Germany, Canada, France and other countries. The school motto is "Pass On The Torch."

History

Established in October, 10 1927, with a mod­est enrollment of 20 students, a Principal and eight part-time teachers, Queen's College has grown to a population 3000 students, and a staff strength of well over 300 full time teachers. The college continues to be blessed with seasoned, dedicated, disciplined and industrious administrators; and an equally highly trained and experienced teach­ing staff, whose many contributions to the lives of so many young women of Nigeria is a historical testimony of the invaluable human resources available in this our dear country, Nigeria. They have all in their different styles actualized the vision of the New Era Ladies Club of those early years, 1926/27, under the inspiration of late Lady Oyinkan Abayomi.

At a time like this, it is usual to remember the out­standing personalities who positioned the institution's milestones, and to forget that the greatest binding force that kept the traditions going, were the unnamed peo­ple whose dedication and selfless service nurtured and protected the institution. Queen's College is mandated to recognize and extol the humility of service of the many matrons, nurses, volunteer doctors, caterers and cooks, office hands, drivers, gardeners and secu­rity men who with quiet faith, and often unsung praise, kept the wheels of the school turning throughout those glorious seventy years. The proprietor of the school (the Federal Ministry of Education), the Parent/Teachers Association, the Old Girls Association, the neighboring Local Govern­ments, the Lagos State Government, corporate bodies, friends and well-wishers of Queen's College, continue to offer their support and strength.

Queen's College has successfully provided education for girls in Nigeria - creating equal gender opportunities for them in various professional fields. Girls were given the opportu­nity to pursue courses in the Sciences, Medicine, En­gineering, Law, Architecture, the Arts, etc. The history of Queen's College is the success of teaching girls from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds to live together in harmony, respect and love for one another towards the cohesion of their beloved country. The history of Queen's College is that of girls brought up with those qualities that make the ideal citizen: high moral standards, right sense of values, self discipline, a sense of duty and service, hard work and honesty, steadfastness, courage and confidence, and above all, the fear of God.

Objective

To prepare the girl child/girls: (a) For the challenges of their future role as housewives, and (b) For contributing towards the progress of the country.

Structure

Structurally, the school operates at two levels: junior and senior school. The lowest forms JS I to JS III make up the junior school. Students in these forms study for the Junior School Certificate Examination conducted by the National Examination Council (NECO) and taken at the end of their third year. The Senior School Examination is the goal of the students in the upper forms. Two examination bodies- West African Examinations Council and National Examinations Council are each empowered to conduct separately the end of-course examination and students are to enter for both examinations. The Senior and Junior Schools are distinct in their operations. Each stream of JS 1 - SS3 have about 8 classrooms with varying numbers of students.

For effective management of both sections, the school is headed by the Principal, designated PQC (Principal Queen's College) who is ably assisted by five Vice Principals:

• The Vice Principal Administration I
• The Vice Principal Special Duties.
• The Vice Principal Academics I
• The Vice Principal Administration II
• The Vice Principal Academics II

Curriculum

The curriculum of the school covers Science, Social Science, Arts -and vocational subjects as well as co-curricular activities. In line with the 6-3-3 4 system of education, the scope has been enlarged to give a broad-based education with a variety of subjects that can lead to various courses in tertiary institutions. Highly qualified and experienced staff and twelve Guidance Counselors are available to assist students in learning, in their choice of career, social adjustment, as well as their welfare. Various subjects are offered in both Junior and Senior schools including:

• English Language, Literature-in-English, History
• Mathematics, Further mathematics
• Social Studies , Geography
• Integrated Science (Biology, Chemistry and Physics)
• French Language
• Business Studies ,Economics, Commerce, Accounting
• Introductory Technology
• Christian Religious Studies/Islamic Religious Studies
• Nigerian language - Yoruba/Hausa/Igbo Languages
• Agric/PHE
• Arabic
• Music/Fine art
• Home economics
• Typewriting
• Computer Studies

The girls are also actively involved in games and sports. Sports facilities that are available in the school are enough to meet a variety of interest and talents. The annual inter-house sports competition is usually held during the second term of the academic session. The school has about six houses that compete in the inter-house games, namely Dan-Fodio (Red House), Obasa (Blue House), Obi (Yellow House), Emotan (Green House), Efunjoke (Purple House) and Obong (Orange House).

Principals

1. Miss F. Wordsworth (later Mrs. Tolfree) - 1927 to 1930
2. Miss W. W. Blackwell - 1931 to 1942
3. Mrs. D. Mather - 1942 to 1944
4. Dr. Alice Whittaker - 1944 to 1946
5. Miss Ethel Hobson - 1946 to 1950
6. Miss Mary Hutcheson -1950 to 1954
7. Miss Joyce Moxon - 1954 to 1955
8. Miss Margaret. Gentle (later Mrs. Harwood) - 1956 to 1963
9. Mrs. 1. E. Coker - 1963 to 1977 (First Nigerian principal of Queen's college)
10. Mrs. T. E. Chukwuma - 1978 to 1982
11. Mrs.A.A Kafaru - 1982 to 1986.
12. Mrs. J. E. Ejueyitche - 1986 to 1987
13. Mrs. J. Namme - 1987 to 1991
14. Mrs. H. E. G. Marinho - 1991 to 1996
15. Mrs. M. T.F. Sojinrin - 1996 to 2001
16. Mrs. O. O. Euler-Ajayi - 2001 to 2004
17. Mrs. M. B. Abolade - 2004 to 2006
18. Mrs. o. Togonu-Bickersteth - 2006 to 2008
19. Mrs. A. C. Onimole - 2008 to 2010
20. Mrs. F. Oguniake - 2010 to 2011
21. Mrs. M. O. A. Ladipo - 2011 till date

Incident

There is not a specific date when this incident happened. A 12 year old Junior Secondary Schooler and a technician were involved in an action of rape in the school physics laboratory. This action would have gone unnoticed if it they didn't mention it in the May 9th edition of Tempo Magazine. The article was entitled 'Rape of Innocence.' The technician who must have been eyeing the poor girl for a while, considering that girls tend to grow very quickly these days, (by the time they are twelve, they are already looking feminine), tricked her into a corner of the laboratory, and reportedly overpowered her. Then she defiled her. It was the poor girl's screams that attracted the attention of other students who also alerted the school principal. An emergency school assembly was summoned. The rapist, husband of two wives and father of four children, has been handed over to the police. The school principal, according to the report, wept profusely. The students were told to steer clear of the male teachers in the school. This is the first time such an incident would be reported in the school since its establishment in 1927.

See also

• Federal Government College Ikot Ekpene
• Federal Government Girls College Benin City

External links

• Official website
• Jet, Njoku Onyekacji (2006-08-15). "Queens College holds valedictory service". The Sun Online (The Sun Publishing Ltd.). http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/education/2006/aug/15/education-15-08-2006-003.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-05. 
• "Queen's College Expels 30 Students". Online Nigeria. 2002-10-13. http://www.onlinenigeria.com/links/adv.asp?blurb=144. Retrieved 2007-05-05.