The Department of Extra-Mural Studies was founded in 1949 and the Institute of Education was founded in 1956/57 academic session to train teachers. The pioneering Director and Head of Education was Professor Margaret Read from the Institute of Education, University of London.  Prof. Margaret Read was a member of the Elliot Commission that recommended the establishment of the University College, Ibadan. Initially, the classrooms for the students was at the old site of the University College at Eleyele although the students were housed on the new site. Margaret Read spent the first session (1956/57) planning the structure of the Institute and recruiting staff.  Since U.C.I. started off as a University College of London University, she naturally planned it on the lines of the London University Institute of Education.  The first set of 27 students was admitted in September 1957 for the 1957/58 session. They were for the Postgraduate Certificate in Education and the Associateship Certificate in Education. Professor Read did not complete the session. 

Dr. Constance Geary, also from the London University Institute of Education, was appointed as the Director to get the programme started.  There were just five members of staff; Constance Geary, Donald Miller, Alan Brimer, Robert Stone and Noah Setidisho. In 1960 the Institute, with 45 students and a staff establishment of one Professor, two Senior Lecturers, five Lecturers and one Research Fellow moved into Faculty of Arts Building on the new site of U.C.I. 

The Department of Extra-Mural Studies and the Institute of Education were merged together in 1962 and called the “Faculty of Education and Extra-Mural Studies”. The “Faculty of Education and Extra-Mural Studies” was based in the present Faculty of Arts before it moved to its present site. All Institute academic businesses were processed to Senate through the Faculty of Arts.

During the first free primary education scheme in the South-Western Region of Nigeria, the Institute of Education helped in training teachers for the numerous primary schools that suddenly sprang up and grew tremendously in population. Its first products were graduates trained for a year for the Postgraduate Diploma in Education and non-graduate trained teachers who were further trained for the Associateship Certificate in Education (ACE).  In 1962, the Institute of Education started the Bachelor of Education Programme and was renamed the Institute and Department of Education which was created in 1962 to solve the outcry of lack of qualified teachers to teach in the Nigerian secondary schools. At that time, the Director of Institute was also the Head of Department of Education.

From 1974/75 academic session, new Departments were created from this initial set-up. These were the Departments of Physical and Health Education in 1975/76 session (now Department Human Kinetics and Depart of Health Education), Educational Management, Guidance and Counseling and Special Education all in 1976/77 session. The Institute of Education reseeded its mandate of production of teachers at degree level to the new redesigned Teacher Education, from then, the Institute of Education focused on Certificates, Diplomas and Degree Programmes in the affiliated Colleges of Education. So, any education activities of the University outside the campus were assigned to the IoE while the Department of Teacher Education was saddled with the responsibility of producing trained teachers within the campus.

Dr. Constance Geary, also from the London University Institute of Education, was appointed as the Director to get the programme started.  There were just five members of staff; Constance Geary, Donald Miller, Alan Brimer, Robert Stone and Noah Setidisho. In 1960 the Institute, with 45 students and a staff establishment of one Professor, two Senior Lecturers, five Lecturers and one Research Fellow moved into Faculty of Arts Building on the new site of U.C.I. 

The Department of Extra-Mural Studies and the Institute of Education were merged together in 1962 and called the “Faculty of Education and Extra-Mural Studies”. The “Faculty of Education and Extra-Mural Studies” was based in the present Faculty of Arts before it moved to its present site. All Institute academic businesses were processed to Senate through the Faculty of Arts.

During the first free primary education scheme in the South-Western Region of Nigeria, the Institute of Education helped in training teachers for the numerous primary schools that suddenly sprang up and grew tremendously in population. Its first products were graduates trained for a year for the Postgraduate Diploma in Education and non-graduate trained teachers who were further trained for the Associateship Certificate in Education (ACE).  In 1962, the Institute of Education started the Bachelor of Education Programme and was renamed the Institute and Department of Education which was created in 1962 to solve the outcry of lack of qualified teachers to teach in the Nigerian secondary schools. At that time, the Director of Institute was also the Head of Department of Education.

From 1974/75 academic session, new Departments were created from this initial set-up. These were the Departments of Physical and Health Education in 1975/76 session (now Department Human Kinetics and Depart of Health Education), Educational Management, Guidance and Counseling and Special Education all in 1976/77 session. The Institute of Education reseeded its mandate of production of teachers at degree level to the new redesigned Teacher Education, from then, the Institute of Education focused on Certificates, Diplomas and Degree Programmes in the affiliated Colleges of Education. So, any education activities of the University outside the campus were assigned to the IoE while the Department of Teacher Education was saddled with the responsibility of producing trained teachers within the campus.