A Brief History of DMGS as written by E.C. Ezekwesili:

In dealing with this subject, let me admit my limitations right away. I must say, like St. Paul, “I know in part, and I prophesy in part.” I expect that in due course more capable historians, many of whom have been produced by the school, will find time to consult documents and archives both at home and abroad and give us a more definitive history of this great institution. I wish to begin the first phase by making a rather controversial statement. This is that the two factors dominant in the founding of the Dennis Memorial Grammar School were the presence of the Holy Ghost Fathers at Onitsha and the unquenchable thirst of the lgbo people for formal education.

Although the Church Missionary Society began her activities at Onitsha in 1857, it took sixty-eight years to build her first secondary (grammar) school in Igboland. The long delay indicates that it was not the intention of those early missionaries to introduce grammar school education into Igboland. Their aim was to evangelize the people, and they did not believe that secondary education was necessary for the propagation of Christianity. Bishop Crowther began his evangelization work in the Niger Mission with yeomen who had “little or no formal education – farmers, carpenters bricklayers, shoemakers, messengers and stewards on lordships.”

Therefore such men laid emphasis on education with vernacular as the medium of instruction. They were satisfied with “bush” schools and junior elementary schools, a policy that naturally led to the production of vernacular agents, catechists and low-rank clergy, to whom the teaching of English language and other “secular” subjects was abhorrent. The arrival of the Holy Ghost Fathers, a Roman Catholic Church missionary organization at Onitsha would ultimately change the situation. These catholic clergy opened schools at Onitsha in which English Language was the medium for instruction. Graduates of their schools very easily secured jobs in British government offices as well as in commercial enterprises. Once the local population realized the economic advantages of literacy in English language, they clamored for it.  The C.M.S. schools were soon deserted by converts who had flocked to schools established by the Holy Ghost Fathers.

The British government, through its Proclamation No. #19 of 1903, published the Education Code of the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria which indicated that English should be taught in all schools, that religious instruction should no longer be compulsory, and that grants-in-aid would be paid to schools on the basis of assessments made by government Inspectors of Education. The C.M.S. Niger Mission rejected this code, afraid that it would lead to the secularization of education, and drew up its own code in 1905, which was revised in 1910, setting up its own independent education department. On the other hand, the Holy Ghost Fathers had accepted this code by 1911, and would receive substantial grants-in-aid for their schools.

With these, the Holy Ghost Fathers rapidly increased enrollment in their schools, raised the academic standards by teaching English themselves, and made education free for their converts. Moreover, in 1901, they opened a High School at Onitsha, where industrial education and a much higher standard of instruction were pursued.  As a result of the quality of education provided in their schools, the prestige of the Holy Ghost Fathers, both in government circles and among the laity in and around Onitsha, soared high. The Niger Mission (of the Church Missionary Society) in contrast utilized grants-in-aid for educational funding, continued to charge school fees, and taught English through poorly qualified African teachers which was restricted to the senior classes of her few Central primary schools.

This difference in policy and method of schools administration between the Holy Ghost Fathers and the C.M.S. Niger Mission caused many converts from the latter to switch allegiance to the Roman Catholic Mission or transfer their wards to Roman Catholic schools. Bishop H. Tugwell summarized this situation in a letter which he had written to Dr. G. T. Basden with these words, “There is no denying the fact that at the present moment nearly all the young people of Onitsha town and Waterside who attend school are to be found in the Roman Schools.”

The C.M.S. Niger Mission authorities were, therefore, forced to modify their attitude towards higher education. Among the advocates for higher education was Archdeacon T.J. Dennis, who in 1899 advocated the inclusion of English in the curriculum of primary schools, and urged the opening of a secondary school at Onitsha, in which English would be the medium of instruction. In 1910, Bishop Tugwell proposed that Awka Training College, founded in 1904, should be moved to Onitsha, and that a secondary school should he opened alongside the Teacher Training College. This proposal was not fully accepted at the time, though authorities of C.M.S. Niger Mission continued their drive towards higher education with the introduction of English and other secular subjects in the primary school curriculum. The Executive members of the Niger Mission, under the leadership of Archdeacon T. J. Dennis, pressed in 1911 for the opening of a well equipped Central School at Onitsha, with both elementary (primary) and secondary (post-primary) units, to be headed by an European, preferably a university graduate with experience in educational matters. This proposal unfortunately had to wait another fourteen years because the Parent Committee of the C.M.S. was in great financial difficulties, being therefore unable to support such a project. However, various preparations were begun despite a lack of funds. A lease on a piece of land was taken in 1914, with the government approval, which was to be the site of the future school. The local church committees and numerous well wishers made donations towards that same project. The plan of the new building was approved at the Executive Committee meeting of February 1914, and a name, “The Onitsha Grammar School” was agreed upon. Even a tentative school curriculum was suggested.

On August 1, 1917, Archdeacon T. J. Dennis was drowned at sea on his return trip to England, after his boat was torpedoed by a German destroyer. At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Niger Mission on 19th September, 1918, at a Christ Church schoolroom in Onitsha under the chairmanship of Bishop Tugwell, it was resolved that a fund be opened with the object of perpetuating the memory of late Archdeacon Dennis and that fund used for the furtherance of education in the Niger Mission. It was later proposed, with approval of the Parent Committee of the C.M.S., to use that fund in building a secondary school dedicated to the memory of Archdeacon T.J. Dennis.

In February 1919, the Grammar School Building and Business Committee was inaugurated under the Rev. S R. Smith, Secretary of the Niger Mission, as Chairman, and the Rev. Dr. G. T. Basden, Rev. W. E. Blacken, Rev. G. N. Anyaegbunam, Chief Mba, Chief EzeOkoli and Mr. C. A. Barnes as committee members. Dr. C.C. Ifemesia, later joined by Mr. M. T. Nottidge, and on his arrival in 1922, the Rt. Rev. B. Lasbrey, were subsequently included. Under this committee, contributions and donations flowed in regularly and generously from various church councils and individuals. The Onitsha District Council donated N100; the Enugu-Ngwo District N25, Chief EzeOkoli of Nnobi N20, and after Bishop Lasbrey had reconciled the Niger Archdeaconry and the Niger Delta Pastorate in 1923, generous donations came from the Niger Delta Pastorate. Under William Watson, a Newcastle-upon-Tyne businessman, an appeal for funds was launched in England. Mr. C.A.A. Barnes, a Gold Coast civil Engineer and a member of the committee, offered to draw the plans and erect the buildings, free of charge. Labour for the construction of the building was freely supplied by church members, who took their turn in providing water and sand, and in churning the burnt bricks and cement paste with which the school was built.

The foundations of the building were laid in 1920, but the problem of collecting building materials from overseas, and other attendant difficulties which followed the first great war, led to the postponement of building until 1921. With the arrival of Bishop Lasbrey in 1922, work was resumed, and by the end of that year, about N3,000 had been spent on half of the two-story building that serves as the main block of the school.

On February 2nd, 1923, Col. Moorhouse, the Lieut. Governor, laid the foundation stone for DMGS. A management committee was formed, made up of four members appointed by the Executive Committee of the C.M.S. and three members appointed by the Church Council Board. The year 1924 was spent in putting finishing touches to the building and the Rev. F. H..Taylor, B.A., was appointed principal-designate. Thus everything was set for the opening of the school in the following year.

(Excerpt from “A History of Dennis Memorial Grammar School, Onitsha [1925-1975]”)

Prepared by: E. Chukwuka Ezekwesili, B.A. (London), Dipl. Edu., DMGS alumnus & former Dean of Students Affairs (acting) at University of Nigeria, Nsukka