HISTORIES
The coming of education in Nigeria
The period 1842-82 was marked by intensive missionary activity and
expansion in Southern Nigeria. During this time the church
missionary society, Methodist missionary society, the United
Presbyterian Church of Scotland, the Quaibo mission, the primitive
Methodist missionary society and the Basel mission firmly established
themselves in this area.
Up to 1882 the colonial government in Nigeria paid little or no attention
to the education needs of the people and the field was left entirely to
the mission. This period can therefore by justifiable termed the era of
exclusive Christian missionary education in southern Nigeria. The
missionaries without exception used the school as means of conversion
and each found that children were more valuable for this purpose than
adults though adults were not ignored in their evangelical programmed. In
addition to book learning vocational training was added to the programme
at Abeokute, for instance, and later at Onitsha, Lakoja, and Calabar,
agriculture, carpentry, brick laying, ginnery etc. were encourage by the
C.M.S, the church of Scotland and other mission. In Topo near Badagry
the famous Topo industrial school for delinquent children was started in
1876 by the Roman Catholic mission. During the period under review the
missions, while emphasizing religion, set the moral tone for their members.
Character-training, a stern code of European ethics and the like were
enforced. Naturally conflicts developed as the traditional African way of
life conflicted with the European. Polygamy was the order of the day, but
a good Christian was expected to be monogamous. This caused no small
conflict within the church and the issue was destined to plague the
church to the present day. Some of the missions, for example the C.M.S
and the Methodist, set up management boards to help regulate the
curriculum, teachers’ salaries, conduct etc. the achievements of the
missions during this period of government indifference to education
included: translation of the bible in to local languages for example, Yoruba,
Ibo Efik and Nupe: introduction of vocational or industrial education
character-training, training, employment, payment of teachers and
establishment of a code of conduct for teachers and pupils.
Lack of official education police however, resulted in the
following.-
A. Adequate financial support and control.
B. Uniformity in the condition of service of teachers.
C. Adequate supervision of schools-building, teachers, pupils etc.
D. A common syllabus, standard text books, regular school hour etc.
E. A central examination system.
