SIR: It is worthy to remember the life and times of a notable icon and educationist, Deaconess Grace Bisola Oshinowo, the founder of Grace Schools (both primary/secondary), who blazed the odds to establish her name on the sands of time. Though she had a rough start in life, she faced life with great optimism. She died on August 28, 2011.

The young Bisola, who came to Lagos at the age of six as a house-help, had a burning desire for education. When she could not actualise her dream of securing education, she went back to Ibido, in Ijebu-Ode, in Ogun State, her hometown, where she started Primary School at the age of 12.

Born on December 28, 1928, Oshinowo was the lastborn of her mother. She completed her primary education in Ijesu-Ode in 1947 and later attended Modern School in 1949.

She attended United Missionary College (UMC), Ibadan, where she secured a Teachers’ Grade Two Certificate between 1950 and 1953. This signalled the commencement of her teaching career. She taught at St. James Primary Ota, Anglican Girls’ School, Lagos, and St. Peter’s School Faji, among others.

An incident occurred. It was the collapse of the building of the primary school where she taught. This affected her students and left her benumbed and in shock for several days. It was the avenue that opened doors for her overseas education.

She gained admission to study at Roehampton College in England and was one of the few privately-sponsored students. She performed excellently when she sat for the London University Teachers’ Certificate and National Froebel Foundation Certificate.

She later got married in 1958 to Emmanuel Oshinowo, and started raising children: Mrs. Olatokunbo Edun, a versatile and renowned educationist, Abayomi, a medical doctor and Mobolaji, who studied Business Management. Olatokunbo, her only daughter, is the one who has elevated Grace Schools to a higher pedestal.

Throughout her teaching career, even after returning from overseas, Oshinowo had a great dream to nurture. To establish a school that would provide quality education to well-rounded students. The dream came to manifestation with the establishment of Grace Children School in 1968 and later Grace High School in 1994. Oshinowo had the passion, perseverance and persistence in turning her age-long dream into reality.

When she founded Grace Schools, she had the mission to provide complete and quality education with a view to producing well-groomed scholars with a global perspective and zeal for excellence, contributing positively to their country.

Both primary and secondary arms of the school have remained synonymous with excellence. The schools she established several years ago have re-invented the rules of qualitative education and raised the bar of academic excellence.

According to Rabindranath Tagaro: “A death is not the extinguishing of a light but the putting out of the lamp because the dawn has come.” Indeed, the death of Oshinowo did not affect the light of Grace Schools from blossoming and expanding. She had equipped and empowered her only daughter, Mrs. Olatokunbo Edun, to shine the torch of excellence.

The schools today rank among the best and remain committed to the ethos of providing sound education to students. Williams Penn said it all when he stated: “Death cannot kill what never dies.” The worthy legacy of Deaconess Oshinowo lives on. The Annual Indigent Scholarship instituted by Grace Schools in her honour has provided holistic education to several less-privileged students.

The schools have also remained centres for academic excellence. Though she is dead but her legacy has been preserved in the most laudable way. The contributions of Oshinowo to the growth and development of education in Nigeria are both laudable and commendable. The seeds she planted several years ago have germinated and become prominent reference points for outstanding academic delivery.

The worthy legacy she bequeathed through Grace Schools provides a veritable platform to deliver top notch education for students. Ralph Naido Emerson aptly said “It is not length of life, but depth of life.” The depth of Deaconess Oshinowo’s life is unquantifiable.
Today, Grace Schools stand tall as a testament to her accomplishments as a renowned educationist.
Ayodeji Ayopo.