West African Senior School Certificate Examination. The three models of Secondary education in Ghana since colonial times are the Mfantsipim School founded by the Church (mission) in 1876, Achimota School in 1927 established by the British Colonial government It offered the most direct path towards prestigious jobs in colonial administrations and European enterprises. This allowed me to estimate the impact of mission schooling directly. He was followed, three years afterwards, by the Rev. The vast majority of the people of The Gambia are Moslems; but a sizeable percentage of the population, especially in and around the capital Banjul, are Christians. Porter, Andrew. The Committee for Women's Work was responsible for the education of native girls. The foreign exchange earnings helped to develop Ghanas infrastructure. By the close of the nineteenth century the major Christian missionary churches had opened elementary schools in many part of southern Nigeria with an enrolment of about 74,000 by the First World War. C.M.S. Moreover, mission education formed a poor foundation for future educational conditions in the former colonies. Two other training colleges opened by the missionaries, in the early days, were the Wesley College in Kumasi (1922) and the Roman Catholic Training College at Amisano, near Elmina (1931) which in 1936 moved to the campus of the newly founded secondary school, St Augustines College at Cape Coast. Their converts, for many years, were confined to the people of southern Nigerian extraction resident in the north, and to the-large non-Muslim population of the north. Thus missionaries, by imparting education that promoted dependence on colonial rule, arguably contributed to the political instability that continues in the present day in many former African colonies, such as Kenya and Eritrea. While missionaries could sometimes clash with colonial governments, for the most part missions were important tools for colonial governments. As happened in Ghana, the development of training colleges in Nigeria was slower than secondary schools, though the C. M. S. had opened the first training college at Abeokuta as far back as 1849. In the later 19th century, the immense African interior remained the principal object of the Catholic Priests, and from 1867 until his death in November 1892 Cardinal Lavigerie planned the planting of churches in Africa South of the Sahara. In 1880, two Roman Catholic priests of the Society of African Missions (S.M.A. They include Sierra Leone 1900-1933; Ghana 1903; Cape Verde 1904-1910; and St Vincent 1907-1912. The Christian Connector is a great resource for Christians and aspiring ministry leaders and missionaries to apply for scholarships. To their minds, Africans were too backward and needed help to become more civilized. Another reason why the Europeans came to spread the Christian religion in Ghana was to pave their own way into eternal glory. The effort of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. This was around the same time that the first Portuguese sailors arrived on the coast of Ghana. The Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist and Anglican missions all made a major contribution to education in Ghana and Africa as a whole. As churches of the Volta Region begin reproducing, ABWE wants to reach out to Ghanas unreached people groups in its eight other regions. The missionaries seemed to have concentrated much of their effort on the production of export crops. People all around the world are searching for hope, but many dont have someone to tell them about the hope found in Jesus. It was however in the coastal territories filled with mulattos and other European trading communities that Christianity won some of its early success. Even if secondary education was provided, it was often reserved for the sons of local chiefs (Oliver 1952:212; Beck 1966: 120), an elite the colonial government could then call upon to help rule the colony, a common practice in colonial Africa. It also plays an important role in organization of inheritances within matrilineal houses and thus exerts influence from a legal point of view. THE CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES AND VERNACULAR LITERATURE; Another valuable contribution of the Christian missionaries in West Africa was the development of literature in the local vernaculars, this included the translation of the Bible into some of the important local languages. For instance, the Basel Mission established Basel Mission Trading Company (UTC) in 1859. The effects of work done by Bishop Ajayi Crowther, assisted by the Igbo recaptive the Rev. In 1858 ten years after the founding of the first college, the Presbyterians opened a sister college at Aburi for the training of women teachers. B. et al. The story of the planting of Christianity in Nigeria would be incomplete without a mention of the Italian Roman Catholic priest, Father Berghero. Shaw, Mark. Schools were deemed important. Besides, the missionaries had to travel longer distances to inland towns from their southern stations. Thus missionaries, by imparting education that promoted dependence on colonial rule, arguably contributed to the political instability that continues in the present day in many former African colonies, such as Kenya and Eritrea. This conditioning was focused on norms that missionaries deemed incompatible with a Christian way of life. From 1870 to 1914 the Basel Mission succeeded in extending its work from the Akwapim Ridge to Kwahu, Akim and Asante and across the Volta as far as Yendi the north in 1913. It is much easier to interact on an equal basis or even challenge the authority of another group when one is able to communicate in that groups language, instead of having to rely on an interpreter or non-verbal gestures, which undermine ones ability to show authority or express ones beliefs. This instruction in 1948 developed into the University College in Ibadan. Another difficulty that the early missionaries faced in the spread of Christianity was insufficient Christian literature at that time. ), Father Auguste Moreau and Father Eugene Murat, arrived at Elmina and revived the Roman Catholic Church in Ghana. Through academic lessons and lessons on Western etiquette and hygiene, mission students were isolated from their traditional cultures, a traumatic experience that would continue to trouble many students for the rest of their lives. Governments are also not free from blame even if they had a laissez-faire educational policy, as in Ghana, where until 1944 the registration of schools was not required and no attempt was made to exert detailed control even over the activities of grant-aided [by the government] institutions except for a series of minimal registrations (Foster 1965:114). Clarke, Peter Bernard. Thomas Birch Freeman, son of a London-based West Indian father and an English mother. The evangelical societies founded in the Americas included the Baptist Missionary Board and the Nova Scotian Methodists, whose members went to work among the Maroons, who had settled mainly in Liberia. "Big things have small beginnings"; so is The Presbyterian Church of Ghana. Moreover, speaking through interpreters is a defective means of communicating ones thoughts to ones audience. The missionary activities in Nigeria, especially their educational programs helped to whip-up the consciousness of a shared identity and helped to train a new set of elite that championed the course of nationalism and constituted a virile leadership for the young nation at independence.Click to see full answer What is missionary education?A mission school or [] They did a lot to impact the social and economic lives of Africans. Being ignorant of ones history causes one to lose part of ones identity and pride in that identity, and one is therefore more vulnerable to attacks denouncing ones culture as inferior, especially if at the same time one is being taught the noble history of another culture. I well remember when he came to live with me in Trenton. Waterville Pub. Unlike the Portuguese, the French colonial officials encouraged the Christian missionaries in the promotion of formal education and social services, notably health. The education and skill development of the people is the highest, most potent agent of national development that the Church imparts to its output of students, scholars, and professionals who perform various precious roles in the various sectors of the national economy for national development,' he stated. In addition, the contributions of celebrity missionaries, such as Christian Schwartz, William Carey, Alexander Duff, and James . The coming of the Christian missionaries to Ghana had a positive impact on agriculture. They relied very much on their home churches for their funds. After World War I was declared in 1914, the German missionaries were restricted in their movements by the British in the British colonies. Moreover, the Islamic religion was also being introduced to the southern section of the country by Muslim immigrants from the north of the colony. The Scottish Missionary Society had been working in Calabar, Nigeria, also a British colony adjacent to the Gold Coast and it was from the Calabar Presbyterian Church in Nigeria that a missionary was sent to take charge of the Presbyterian work in the Gold Coast after the deportations. Discipleship and leadership development are needed in order to support local churches and their growth in Ghana. Initially,. Preventive medicine was hardly known; the result was that epidemics of different kinds were frequent. Meanwhile, the Scottish missionary, Mary Slessor, had established a reputation in the Cross River area as a nurse. Ekechi, Felix K. Colonialism and Christianity in West Africa: The Igbo Case, 19001915. The Journal of African History 12, no. One Liberian student recalls that we were taught to dress properly, to eat properly, to speak properly. Mission schools were popular because of the new skills and opportunities they offered. Further, the missionaries introduced improved methods of farming together with modern farm implements. Also the missionaries set up model farms where scientific agriculture was taught and new crops were introduced for the people, to go alongside longstanding indigenous production. Burns & Oates, 1979. Similar developments were carried out by the missionaries in other Nigerian languages, Efik, Kanuri, Igbo, etc. ), Father Auguste Moreau and Father Eugene Murat, arrived at Elmina and revived the Roman Catholic Church in Ghana. Just look at the lyrics of this evangelizing song written in 1819 by Reginald Heber, a prolific English hymnist in the Anglican church. Both the academic and vocational forms of education the missions provided served to strengthen the rule of the colonial powers, so that the native inhabitants were second-class citizens in their own land. Their activities had both positive and negative effects on Ghanaian society. We shall now turn our attention to the activities of the Christian missionaries in Ghana. Study for free with our range of university lectures! Wm. This was because all the ships that came to the coast at that time were owned by trading firms and companies whose interest were basically on trade. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Ayandele (1966:283), writing in the 1960s, says, By their [the missions] efforts the main languages of Nigeria have been preserved as a lasting legacy to the Ibo, Yoruba, Efik, Nupe and Hausa. However, this practice was in fact probably more due to stereotypes of African ignorance than an interest in being culturally respectful: missionaries may have believed that it would take too long to teach a superior European language to the unintelligent natives when the natives souls were in such desperate need of saving. Senior High School Literature As one Eritrean student remarks, Our sisters [the Italian Sisters] would have undoubtedly taught better and more, but the Italian government in the colony did not permit Eritreans to get good instruction (T.T. First, alignment can help you communicate your . Wm. The government gave grants according to the strength of the staff and the efficiency of the school judged by inspection reports and the results of public examinations. New missionary societies (the LMS, the CMS, the Holy Ghost Fathers, the White Fathers, etc.) In the Gambia, the Methodist missionary and first principal of what later became known as the Gambia High School, the Rev. Your email address will not be published. It also talks about all the mission societies from all denominations engaged in educational works. That there are parallels between contemporary Christian organizations efforts and the missionary efforts of the mid-nineteenth to mid- twentieth centuries is a reason for concern, considering the similar impact of missionaries of all Christian denominations on the education of Africans in the British and Italian colonies in Africa. We're here to answer any questions you have about our services. The Society of the Divine Word is the world's largest Roman Catholic order of priests and brothers who focus on missionary work. English for life Their arrival in South Africa was aimed particularly at spreading the Word of God. One method of discouraging traditional practices was to give students a fully Western education. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions In addition to promoting a monogamous lifestyle in their schools, missionaries often insisted on divorces before polygamists or their children could even enrol. It was not until the nineteenth century, that the new religion was really established in West Africa. Predominantly Muslim territory, the North received western education later than the South. The Basel missionaries arrived on the shores of the Gold Coast in 1828 and They discovered that the holy book did not clearly prescribe monogamy, and contained several examples of renowned Christian polygamists. Thank you! Soon after, in 1835 they moved up to Akropon on the hills in Akuapem, where the pioneer missionary the Rev. In Ghana, missions strategically weighted costs and benefits when choosing where to establish their churches and schools. It happens that some people convert at the end of their life in order to be buried in the prestigious Presbyterian cemetery. Their economic activities went beyond the development of agriculture. Again, in West-Africa, the efforts to go beyond the coast to reach those inland with the gospel coincided with the southwards expansion of Islam which posed some threat to the expansion of the work of Christian evangelizing missions. The missionary impact on education would have far-reaching consequences, as their creation of a weak basis of education would slow down the political and educational development of many former colonies in Africa. The education provided in schools in early days also tended to place great emphasis on the superiority of western culture. As a predominantly Roman Catholic country, France encouraged Roman Catholic missionaries right from the start of her colonial activities in West Africa. Another missionary whose memory is revered in Nigeria was Mary Slessor, she arrived in the country in 1876, and for many years worked assiduously as a missionary nurse. Church history, history of Christianity, religious history: some reflections on British missionary enterprise since the late eighteenth century. Church History 71, no. famous poems Hope Waddell started pioneering work, in 1846, in Calabar. By using postcolonial theory as a framework for analysis, it is evident that the Western formal education introduced to the people of the Gold Coast by the Christian missionaries and the British Colonial government did not serve the indigenous population well. Who is Mrs. Konrad in Second Class Citizen? Some of the positive development outcomes of former British colonies are arguably the result of a permissive attitude towards mission schools. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1995. 503 0 obj <> endobj The work of the missionaries also had little success initially. A history of Christianity in Ghana. As happened in parts of Yorubaland in the last century, some of the Christian missionaries often engaged in local politics and took an active part in helping the colonial authorities in their wars of territorial expansion. Series CLS. From 1835 to the middle of the nineteenth century the Church was in opposition to traditional religion. The missionary and colonial education aimed at character training and civilization resulted in cultural annihilation and religious, and linguistic hegemony. Therefore, considering that the impact of mission education continues to have serious repercussions today, one must question whether the First World should continue to interfere in African education. Literature The positive contribution of Christian missionaries in Ghana can be felt in such areas as education, local language development, stoppage of outmoded cultural practices, agriculture and commerce. cited in Miran 2002:128). For example, they preached against human sacrifice. . At the end of the eighteenth century, the Evangelical Revival began to bring to Africa an influx of missionaries whose laoburs would produce the first fruits of an enduring Christian presence in Sub-Sahara Africa. Johann Christaller produced a similar work in Twi. Alignment is the degree of congruence between your teaching philosophy and your institution's mission. senior high school government Learn how your comment data is processed. Containing 9,566 pages belonging to 77 documents housed in 6 volumes As outlined in the short history entitled. Often drumming and the harmless songs and dances of the people were condemned. Without denying that prior to the introduction of Christianity in West Africa the people had developed their own crafts, one must admit that it was Christian missionaries who introduced modern forms of crafts such as carpentry and masonry. Notably among these missionaries are the Wesleyan, Basel, and Bremen. Amidst much honest missionary activity in the country for two centuries, prosperity gospel teachers have also gained influence, and numerous indigenous cults have arisen with distinct appeal and just enough truth to create confusion and syncretism. Ghana continued to call. For instance the scholar E.A. Hugh Goldie and William Anderson. We were expected to accept the European language as the superior one, and this was reinforced throughout my school career (Abu cited in Berman 1974:536). This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. The early Christian missions concentrated their activities not only on religious matters. A history of African Christianity 1950-1975. Longman Publishing Group, 1980. An Alumnus of the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, a Journalist, Author and a Philanthropist. As a mission school graduate noted, local history was almost totally ignored. I wanted to buy a smartphone for him, but when he got to know the price of the cell phone, he humbly declined. They were followed by other major missionary bodies, including the Methodists and the Roman Catholics. The Journal of Negro Education (JNE), a scholarly refereed journal, was founded at Howard University in 1932. Moreover, mission education formed a poor foundation for future educational conditions in the former colonies. The missionaries believed that in order to stabilize the faith of converts and to assist in character development, it was necessary that they should be able to read the scriptures or other books of religious instruction, translated by the missions. New team members can be part of establishing a biblical foundation for the next generation of believers, the growth of nationally-led churches, and church planting in Ghana. Kuhne , his fellow captive and co-author joined him at the mission as a trader in cotton, an activity which was part of, and a means of, financing the mission. She succeeded in stopping the killing of twins in the areas where she served. Roman Catholic and Anglican missionaries came to the Gold Coast from the 15th century. He worked zealously as an evangelist and schoolmaster in the Castle School until his death in 1816. A notable example was the Asafo Company, a purely military and social organisation of the peoples of Ghana, which was condemned by the early missionaries because of its presumed connection with fetish practices. Buchi Emecheta No plagiarism, guaranteed! Some of these effects are still with us today. %%EOF In Fanteland, the Methodists and Roman Catholics pioneered similar works. All work is written to order. Almost all the missions in West Africa faced financial problems in the early stages of their missionary work. station in 1858, it was not until 1889 that the missionaries entered Hausaland, which was predominantly Muslim. For instance, in Nigeria in 2006, approximately only 51.2% of primary school teachers of either gender were trained as teachers, and the enrolment rate in primary education for both genders in 2000 stood at about 62.7%, compared to 99.5% in Canada (UN Data 2010). The American Episcopal Evangelical (A.M.E.) Zion Church owes its foundation in Ghana to Bishop J. Bryan Small, who started work first at Keta in 1898. Among several others, the native Bishop Ajayi Crowther produced the first translation of the Bible in Yoruba. The training college later became part of Achimota College. Although the aim of the traders was to practice commerce opened was the Christian Institute, established in 1814 for the training of teachers, catechists and priests. In conclusion, the converts tended to look down upon many things in their ancestral culture. Specifically, it addresses the unique role of Christian missions in. Father Tetteh also took note of Father Burkes humility and devotion to his students. Theres still so much to be learned from the history of education in Africa and its long-term consequences. There were no Bibles in local languages, likewise grammar books were scant, so the missionaries had to spend time learning local languages, and translated the Bible and wrote series of grammar books. Upon completing his degree, Father Burke received his first assignment abroad: Ghana, the first Black sub-Saharan country in Africa to gain independence from a colonial power. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in the name of Father Burke can be made for the care of elderly and infirm missionaries and sent to The Rector, Divine Word Residence, 1901 Waukegan Road, P.O. wassce literature questions. Their educational activities helped spread literacy and vocational skills training among Ghanaians. The quest for an all-inclusive development model of Ghana and other developing nations, therefore, calls for an insight into the role and responsibilities of religion toward education. In the Gambia, as happened in other territories, the Christian missionaries did not confine their work to the spread of the Gospel alone. Some of the missionaries came with them (549 years ago) but many died from the cruel tropical weather of forested West Africa. Properly meant by Anglo-Saxon standards. Renewed evangelism started when the Basel (later known as Presbyterian) missionaries started work at Osu (Accra). The missionaries also greatly improved the health services. senior high school economics Lets now take a closer look at both the positive and negative impacts of the activities of the Christian missionaries in Ghana and the rest of Africa. They therefore set about to achieve this through introduction of formal education among the Batswana people. S.J. In conclusion, the educational enterprise of the Christian missionaries in the British and Italian colonies of Africa during the mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries was primarily negative for the African pupils. Support earthquake relief and outreach efforts, biblical foundation for the next generation of believers. The History of Christianity in West Africa. His work, however, did not extend much beyond Cape Coast and the neighbouring area. Not only did mission education strengthen colonial rule, but it also weakened traditional societies and implemented poor standards of Western education. This company promoted the import and export trade in Ghana. First, I looked at how educational outcomes depended on the distance to historical missions. A permanent station was established in Lagos in 1868, soon followed by others at Lokoja, Abeokuta and Ibadan. PROBLEMS FACED BY THE CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES. Missionaries and the intellectual history of Africa: a historical survey. Itinerario 7, no. Johannes Zimmermann wrote a grammar of the Ga language, and in 1874 the Rev. senior high school English In line with this, formal education in Ghana was started by the western traders and the missionaries by the 15th century through the 18th century respectively. Africa and the Winder World 3. Europe in those days looked upon Africa as the Dark Continent with very primitive civilizations, and most Europeans refused to adapt their religion to suit the local situation. Among his pioneering achievements, he arranged for three youths to be sent to England for training as evangelists. The anti-slavery issue and the humanitarian conscience also played a vital role in stimulating European interest in Africa and gave an impetus to mission work. The copies of letters received, 1890-1927, mention the plan from 1914 to gain control of future Ashanti Chiefs using education. This was the work of the great missionary, Thomas Birch Freeman, who placed two missionaries, Mr and Mrs. de Graft, in charge of the school. Brief History. A tiny act of kindness is remembered by a young man in need. However, by the turn of the Nineteenth Century there was systematic efforts by churches of Christian Europe, namely: Anglicans, Methodists, and Baptists who were active in Sierra Leone and, with Presbyterians, in Nigeria, while Methodists also set up missions in Ghana, Gambia, and Dahomey.