KING'S COLLEGE LAGOS 1909 TO 2015 HISTORY

HISTORY

Kings College, Lagos, a boys-only Secondary School was established by an Act of British Parliament on Monday 20th of September 1909, with Mr. Lomax as its first Principal. The College (originally called King’s School, Lagos) opened with ten scholars. It was established to produce students
of profound character and academic distinction – men who would build an independent Nigeria. In the words of the colonialists, the College was established

To provide for the youth of the Colony a higher general education than that supplied by the existing schools, to prepare them for the Matriculation Examination of the University of London, and to give a useful course of study to those who intend to qualify for professional life or to enter Government or Mercantile Service

King’s College is a national institution, the nation’s numero uno in post primary education. Today, King’s College, Lagos, remains the best College in terms of prestige, character formation, discipline and academic excellence. Its contemporaries in West Africa are Achimota College, Ghana and Fourabay College, Sierra Leone. In England, Kings College compares favourably with Eaton College, Harrow and a few others.

In 1914, Sir Lord Fredrick Lugard, the Governor-General of Nigeria, described King’s College, Lagos, in a White Paper as “the leading school in the Colony as well as the Premier School”.

STATUS QUO

King’s College Main Campus is located at 3, Catholic Mission Street, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos. The College occupies about 10 Acres of land, with Day and Boarding facilities. The College main building is one long-stretched-L-shaped two story block, consisting of the following segments: The first segment has the Introductory Technology Workshop, Assembly Hall and the College Clinic on the ground floor. On the first floor is a long stream of hostels, which accommodate the Harmans and Panes Houses. On the top of the Houses is the penthouse of four flats for Housemasters.

The ground floor of the second segment of the building consists of three classrooms, while the first and second floors accommodate the McKee Wright House. The third segment, which is fondly referred to as Administrative Block or Brick block, is the oldest building in the College. The complex is of Colonial British architecture. The building has brick walls and wooden floors. It accommodates a classroom, three offices and the College Library adjoining the building at the rear end of the ground floor; while the first floor consists of staff rooms and offices. The Principal’s office, the General Office and the Bursary are located on the third floor. The fourth segment of the structure is a storey building that houses the Science Laboratories.

Other buildings include a two storey block housing 12 classrooms and 8 offices for teachers, beside the Laboratory Block. This block was put up in 1999 by the College Parents’ Teachers Association (PTA). Behind the PTA block is the Senior Boarding Housemaster’s (SBHM) House. A block of residential rooms is also located near the SBHM’s quarters. Towards the Western end of the College is a storey building, which accommodates the Dining Hall (ground floor) and the oldest Dormitory in the College – Hyde Johnson House above. Beside Hyde Johnson is a residential block of two flats for teachers and a Squash Court building.

King’s College is a celebrated cradle of sports and the birthplace of Cricket in Nigeria. Its sporting and recreational facilities include standard Football field, Badminton and Squash courts, Cricket pitch, Basketball court and Table Tennis facilities.It offers a comprehensive and all-embracing curriculum for academic excellence and total development of its students into responsible Gentlemen. Two Senior School Certificates are awarded after a satisfactory end of the Senior Secondary. The two certificate examinations available to the College are the West African Senior School Certificate (WASSC) awarded by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and Senior Secondary Certificate (SSC) awarded by the National Examinations Council (NECO). It has highly qualified and dedicated teachers, with a teacher – student ratio.