ABOUT US

On January 25, 1925, the Dennis Memorial Grammar School was opened, and thus a light in the educational development in lgbo land was lit by the Church Missionary; Society which can never be quenched. The first intake consisted of nineteen boarders and forty-six day students. Most of the students came from Onitsha and the surrounding towns where the missionaries had worked for over half a century and where people had begun to appreciate the economic value 'of English education. Some of the first pupils are still alive and are, I hope, here for these celebrations. Among them may be mentioned Harford Anierobi (retired senior Administrative Officer, Isaac Iweka (the distinguished pioneer Civil Engineer, now the Eze of Obosi), Wilfred Mbqnu (retired Rev. Canon bf the Anglican Church) Isaac Nwangwu (retired Civil servant), Alfred Ogbolu (a retired'civil servant),' Jonathan Ogbonna Ekeocha (a retired educationist) and "Walter Onubogu (a well known medical practioner). To them, I am sure, it is "Bliss to be alive today", and we congratulate them.

Our mission

The foundation staff comprised the Principal, the Rev. H. Taylor, B. A. , and three Africans - the late Mr. Mark. Anyaegbuna, Mr. Samuel Achebe, who retired later as a civil servant, and the one and only Ven. Dr. B.C.E. Nwosu (retired Archdeacon of Onitsha). We revere the memories of these pioneers and congratulate those who are alive today. The curriculum took after that of the average English grammar school of the period and was essentially designed to produce a literary type of education. It was meant to produce an elite that would take to the high professional jobs. It was also meant to produce highly accomplished elites who are expected to perform their professional jobs effectively and also become effective leaders. The curriculum of the D.M.G.S. was divided into two sections: The Compulsory - Arithmetic, Religious Instruction, English literature, English Language (Composition, Dictation, Reading and Colloquial English); Secondary Algebra, Geometry, Geography, History, Drawing, Science, Hygiene and Latin. For the first ten years of her history with this curriculum, the D.M.G.S. provided an educated personnel for the ever increasing activities of the church and of the colonial government which followed the "pacification" of the hinterland of Southern Nigeria in the thirties of the present century. They were in great demand everywhere and, up to 1935, most of the pupils left after secondary two to take up appointment in government departments, mercantile houses or as teachers in schools. To teach this curriculum was not easy because teachers were not readily available.

The chief source of the supply of staff for the school was Awka (C.M.S.) Training College. The first set of pioneer staff, 1925-1929, did not attend any secondary school nor study any secondary school subjects, yet were called upon to teach them. How did they manage to tackle this? The truth is that "they, while their companions slept, were toiling upwards in the night." They were devoted and gave of their best to raise the standard of their pupils above their own. Like John the Baptist, they were prepared to decrease in order to make their pupils increase. One of the pioneer staff wrote as follows: "I was placed in charge of Form 2, but to take other classes in science, drill, Religious Instruction, English Literature and also the theory of agriculture. I offered myself to teach the three subjects so that what happened in Asaba in about 1875 when Greek was dropped and in Awka College in 1923 when Algebra and Geometry were dropped because no student had ever passed them will not happen at our Grammar School." From 1930 upward, Old Boys of the D.M.G.S., beginning with Mr. J. U. Ekeocha, began to join the staff and were able to teach secondary school subjects, perhaps with the exception of science subjects, with greater confidence. Apart from the pioneer staff, the following were members of the staff during this pioneering period: