The hope of bringing secondary education nearer to the people of Iree and its environs came to a reality in February, 1959 when Baptist High School, Iree was founded and sited at its present location in the valley between Eru and Maye Hills along Iree-Ikirun Road.
The school was earlier planned for establishment in 1958, but for the Government policy that somehow changed in favor of the establishment of Baptist High School, Saki, the dream could not be realized for the year. The person to midwife the proposed school had already been named and given a marching order to move to Iree from his then Olivet Baptist High school, Oyo’s working place.
At the change of the policy in 1958, Deacon Isaac Adebisi Adedoyin was asked to continue his good service at the Olivet Heights, Oyo while every other thing that needed to be done officially to actualize the dream continued in the untiring hands of members of Iree community, the Nigeria Baptist Convention and the Government.
Eventually, on the 16th of February, 1959, Baptist High School, Iree was made to open for secondary school education in the area. The Acting Principal of the school, Deacon I.A Adedoyin and two other teachers, Mr. G.A Owolabi and Mr. Francis Dairo were the pioneering members of staff. The schools started with only 21 students (all boys) and were accommodated in a rented Utility Building (servicing as the Boarding House) near the neighboring Salem Baptist Primary School. The Students population later increased to 40 in 1961. In the same year (precisely in the second term of the 1961 school year), the students were moved to the school’s own dormitory within the school compound.
The school presented her first set of students for the West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE) in 1964; and by December of the same year, the first set of 19 students graduated from the school. In December, 1965, the school presented another set of students for the WASCE. It was a mixture of students who were eligible to write the examination after six years of study (1960-1965) and those who became eligible after five years (1961-1965). Thereafter, it became a tradition to write the WASCE after 5 years of successful study in the school for a long time.
The year 1967 was quite significant in the history of the school. It was significant for the following reasons:
- The status of the school changed to that of a co-educational institution by the admission of the first set of female students to the school;
- The newly completed Chemistry and Biology Laboratory was opened and dedicated for the use of the students;
- The first set of Science students were presented for the final examination in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology at the WASCE level.
The way and manner the internal examination of the school had been structured from inception were quite unique and peculiar to her system. The conduct of five separate standardized curricula based examinations that are: first, second and third terminal examinations, mid-year and final year’s qualified the school to be first among equals.
The official magazine of the school was first published and launched in 1964. It was christened “VOX VALLE’ Voice from the valley. The school was well known in Sporting, Games and other extra-curricular activities such as Drama, Music, and Literary contests.
It is on record that some old students had opportunities to pay back into the system as teachers in the school. The first person to take that advantage was Pastor David Osasona in 1965. Others like Messrs Sunday Aina, Bunmi Ajayi and Dele Faleye came in to serve as graduate teachers during their respective period as members of staff in the school. Prince G.A Olatunji (now Prof. G.A Olatunji) served dedicatedly as a Laboratory Attendant under the supervision of his former Chemistry teacher, MR D.D Lawrence.
Perhaps it is necessary to correct an impression here about who the first principal of the school was. Although the name of Mr. A.G Martins an American and a Missionary teacher at Olivet Baptist High School Oyo was technically used to open the school on February 1959, he never worked in the school for one day. It was Mr. I.A Adedoyin (now Deacon I.A Adedoyin) that started the school though as Acting Principal because of the official mentioning of the name of Mr. H.G Martins in the course of registering the school and the need to fulfill the mandatory requirement of becoming a principal of secondary school at that time.
However, Deacon I.A Adedoyin in July 1959 became the substantive principal of the school. Mr. H.G Martins at his return from vacation in America only visited Baptist High School Iree and wrote as a remark in the school Log Book that I.A Adedoyin was doing very well in the school and should be allowed to continue with the good work there. H.G Martins left the school, the same day. It must also be mentioned that the quality of teachings, the curricula and other programs of the school were of a high standard and could be responsible for the levels of success which the school recorded at her early days and many years thereafter.