The Government white paper on the Ashby Commission Report (Seasonal paper No.3 of 1961) accepted the following recommendation in paragraph 36:

The Federal Government will welcome the association of the training colleges with the department or Institute of Education attached to the Universities.  So that research may be reflected in practice.  The assistance of Institute of Education should also be involved in the conduct of final examination at the training colleges.

The University College, Ibadan was quick to act on this recommendation. The Ashby Commission Report had envisaged two-year training colleges for the production of Grade 1 teachers, but these quickly evolved into Advanced Teacher Training Colleges with three-year programmes for the Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE).

The University of Ibadan response to the challenge was to differentiate the functions of the Institute into two:  internal and external as Margaret Read had forecast.  A Department of Education was established to look after the teaching of internal full-time programmes while the Institute was to take charge of the external relationships and advisory services.  It was reasoned that the cost of maintaining the Institute should be borne by the Federal Government outside the normal university budget.  The then Principal of the University College, Professor Kenneth Dike, accordingly applied to the Federal Ministry of Education for financial support for the new concept of the Institute.  Professor Dike’s letter F. 6102.183 of 2^nd March, 1961 summarised the position thus:

Whereas the Department is concerned almost entirely with teaching and research within the college, the institute, as you will see from the attached paper from Professor Taylor, is concerned with our relationship with Teacher Training Colleges and advisory activities and In-service Training Courses and, as is fully indicated in this paper, the finance of the Institute of Education should be borne by the Federal Government.

            Professor A. Taylor was at this time the Director of the Institute of Education, but he also headed the Department of Education.

            Government’s reaction was positive.  However, Government decided not to create a separate vote for the Institute but to increase the University College subvention to cover the expenses of the Institute.  Accordingly, by a letter ED/H.8?S/116 of 16^th October 1962, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education informed the University that an extra subvention of E15,000 for the Institute of Education was included in the half yearly subvention for the University College.  This then was the beginning of separate budgeting for the Institute of Education and Department of Education.

            Meanwhile, it was realized that with the new role and concept of the Institute, it was the important to bring in the Government and other external agencies into the governance of the Institute.  Accordingly, a draft constitution was prepared and submitted to the Joint Consultative Committee on Education (JCCE) Reference Committee on Education which approved the constitution on 25th April 1961.  The main J.C.C.E. subsequently approved the constitution in December 1961.

            The Constitution was also submitted to Faculty Board of Arts in April 1961.  On the recommendation of the Faculty Board of Arts, Senate approved the Constitution of the Institute of Education in the same year.

            By this Constitution, the Governance of the Institute of Education was vested in a “Board of Delegates” which is responsible to Senate and through Senate to Council, and a “Professional Committee” which is responsible to the Board of Delegates.  The Board of Delegated held its first meeting in January 1963.  It has met regularly since then to direct the affairs of the Institute till Institute became part of the Faculty sometimes in the late 70s.