Dr. Rafiu Ajao (1965-69)

St Joseph’s was remarkable for admitting pupils from diverse backgrounds if they had requisite qualifications which essentially was to do well at the entrance examination. While many schools tested a pupil’s knowledge, St Joseph’s concentrated on the pupil’s ability to think outside the box. But for that policy, a Muslim student like me would probably have had no chance in the Catholic school. Perhaps this laid the foundation for one of the major points that stood St Joseph’s apart from other schools around: consistently high scores at School Cert, the almighty certification that determined the fate of many pupils in those days. But then St Joseph’s other remarkable attribute was in allowing us spiritual freedom. Muslim students were allowed to go to the mosque on Fridays while Anglican students could attend service in their own church on Sundays.
I always wondered why, but I lacked the courage to approach the principal at the time. Then Brother Thomas took over. The hallmark of his style was to ensure that every pupil had easy access to him, and he would listen to everyone, regardless of class or position. And so, we gathered around him one day as he fielded questions from us. Some students suggested that opening the school’s admission process to pupils from places far from Ondo would increase competition, and invariably boost the School Cert scores further. Brother Thomas listened to our suggestions. Then he told us that the primary reason the school was sited in Ondo was to teach Ondo pupils and that even though good grades were desirable, they were secondary. The admission policy remained. Ordinary as it seemed, that encounter made a lasting impression on my mind of a principal who took pains to explain the policy to his students. It was quintessential Brother Thomas.
Another incident involved our new Physics teacher. This teacher came with the attitude (often referred to as British) of giving students tough questions and then bragging about the low scores. That was his style until Brother Thomas asked him about it. The Physics teacher boasted that his marks did not come easy. But Brother Thomas pointedly told him, “If you teach them the tough topics and questions, they will do better.” As he narrated the encounter later, our teacher admitted that he had not looked at the issue from that perspective. Unknown to us, we had just heard of a way that our teacher was evaluated, and he went on to give us better service thereafter.
I feel extremely privileged to have had the opportunity of passing through Brother Thomas. So, as you celebrate your 90th birthday dear Brother, I pray that the Lord continue to bless you.