D.J. BULLOCK

PRINCIPAL (1960 - 1968)

Derek John Bullock was born in Doncaster, England, on 26th July 1926. In September 1931, he entered the Woodsfield Junior Mixed for his elementary schooling, from where he entered the Doncaster Grammar School two months after his 10th birthday in 1936! He left school in 1943, a few days to his 17th birthday and so had a full year before call up for National Service which is at 18! He used this opportunity to get into a teacher's training scheme, partly funded by the Borough Council, and was encouraged to apply to Durham University. He got a place to read Hons. English and in October wert to Durham to become the first member of his family, on either side, to go to a University!

After his first year at the University, he went for his call up and served as a miner at Yorkshire Main some 5 miles from his home in Doncaster! He was released in February 1947. Three months before his 22nd birthday, he was back in Durham. He benefited from the Further Education and Training Scheme designed for ex-Servicemen which meant that the total cost of the rest of his course in Durham was met by the Government! An additional benefit of the FET Scheme was his release from the Teacher's Training Scheme under which he had started his course and the write off of the �40 loan! On graduation, he was thus free to choose his own future!

The future he chose, career wise, was an Education Officer in the Colonial Service; his choice of posting was to Nigeria. He landed Marina , Lagos, on the on the 4th September 1950.

His first posting was to the Provincial Education Office, Abeokuta, where he served under Mr. J.M.M.Osimosu. By April 1951, he made his first appearance in Government College Ibadan, for one term on relief duties! A major posting came as PEO, Oyo, after his leave, during which time he worked on the Universal Free Primary Education Policy of the Action Group Government. In 1956, he was posted to Abraka as principal of the Government Teacher Training College and in May 1959 he reported on promotion, as Principal of Government College Ibadan! He remained in GCI for a near decade which was the high spot of his career and the defining period of his life. He was renowned in GCI, amongst other things, for his drama productions in conjunction with St. Anne's School, whose Principal he later married!

Deejay as he was fondly referred to moved on to Comprehensive High School, Aiyetoro. He was later in his Career to spend time as Principal at the following institutions: Government Teacher Training College, Ilesha, Abusi Edumare Academy, Ijebu-Igbo and General Wingate College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He was founding Principal in 1973 of Federal Government College, Kano. He was in the teaching staff with his wife at Adesoye College Offa.

Derek Bullock married Christine Florence Groves, the former Principal of St. Anne's School, Ibadan, in the Easter of 1973. They both retired to the UK where he took active interest in The Questors Theatre in Ealing.

He died on 27th December 2009, was cremated, and his remains buried next to his wife in Ibadan on 1st May 2010.