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The practice of inflicting multiple wounds on the bodies of so-called spirit babies now belongs to history. 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. A second reason for the poor education of the mission schools was that in many cases the teachers in mission schools were unqualified as teachers, but were instead preachers by training. In December 1868 he went with his wife and child to Anum in the present-day Volta Region of Ghana. Burns & Oates, 1979. Indeed, most of our early nationalists were all products of mission schools. The Portuguese were the first to introduce the Christian faith into West Africa but following their departure from the West Coast in the mid-seventeenth century, the Christian religion survived only in Upper Guinea where a bishop was maintained in the Cape Verde Islands serving also a part of the mainland. Volunteers and donors to organizations such as Compassion Canada believe that they are being humanitarian when they build schools in Africa, volunteer as teachers or help in other ways to improve the quality of education in African nations, yet missionaries and colonial governments were similarly lauded as performing a great work of humanity (Beck 1966:117) and likewise believed that they were helping their African pupils. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004. It happens that some people convert at the end of their life in order to be buried in the prestigious Presbyterian cemetery. More women than men attend church, and the more strict churchgoers tend to be wealthier and of higher social status than less churchgoers or non-Presbyterians. Soon after secondary schools were opened in other parts of southern Nigeria, including Bonny High School, which was taken over by government in 1904. The system was devoid of any cohesive national policy. . Johannes Zimmermann wrote a grammar of the Ga language, and in 1874 the Rev. Although it can be said that Christian missionaries benefitted Africans by bringing in the more advanced Western education to the European colonies in Africa, it is believed that the mission schools in fact had a negative impact on the native peoples. 4>Ofv}TMdQ! They include Sierra Leone 1900-1933; Ghana 1903; Cape Verde 1904-1910; and St Vincent 1907-1912. 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. 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. 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. Therefore the period for the rise of Christianizing Missions in the late Nineteenth Century has been considered as reprise. In the Gambia, as happened in other territories, the Christian missionaries did not confine their work to the spread of the Gospel alone. Teaching in the vernacular had an additional use as it further strengthened colonial rule, of which missionaries were often agents, for as the Kikuyu people of Kenya were aware, [the] inability to communicate in English would be a crucial factor in the perpetuation of their subordinate status in the colony (Berman 1974:531). I well remember when he came to live with me in Trenton. The work of the Basel Missionary Society was taken over with the consent of the Basel Mission Home Board by the United Free Church of Scotland whose ecclesiastical organization was Presbyterian. If your specific country is not listed, please select the UK version of the site, as this is best suited to international visitors. B. et al. senior high school crs crs questions and anwers This chapter traces the origins and long-term development of African mass education in colonial sub-Saharan Africa. House, 1967. All work is written to order. 522 0 obj <>stream Request Permissions. The blessings which Christianity has brought to West Africa are many. As long as the Africans could read the Bible, the missionaries were satisfied that they had had enough academic education. However the superficial motivations and ideologies have changed, at the most basic level both contemporary Northern charities and nineteenth century missionaries share the belief that the North must come and save the suffering natives, which in the case of the missionaries, has been proven to have inflicted more harm than provided relief. The Essay Writing ExpertsUK Essay Experts. We've received widespread press coverage since 2003, Your UKEssays purchase is secure and we're rated 4.4/5 on reviews.co.uk. Although modern scientific research has confirmed the medicinal properties of these concoctions, traditional medical practice had several shortcomings. 0 Among the first missionaries was the Rev. In fact, the Christian missionaries encouraged Ghanaians to reject African names and choose Christian names instead. It is simply one of the gross evils of heathen society which, like habitual murder or slavery, must at all costs be ended. The Rev. Series CLR. As a predominantly Roman Catholic country, France encouraged Roman Catholic missionaries right from the start of her colonial activities in West Africa. In 1910, a prominent report of the World Missionary Conference concluded: [T]here can be no question of polygamy. 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. Foremost in the contribution of the early Christian missionaries to the development of Ghana is their efforts to bring Western education to Ghanaians. mock tests Then share it on your favourite social media platform for the benefit of others you care about. This was around the same time that the first Portuguese sailors arrived on the coast of Ghana. In traditionally monogamous societies, primary school completion increased by about eight percent, but only four percent in polygamous societies. Founded in 1875 by St. Arnold Janssen, we number more than 6,000 missionaries. He was followed, three years afterwards, by the Rev. Operational Christianity started 267 Years ago. In regions where a denomination felt threatened by another denomination, the denominations were more likely to establish more schools in an attempt to gain more converts than their rival, while in regions such as northern Nigeria, where colonial policy prevented too much rivalry, schools were scarce (Bassey 1991:45). CUP Archive, 1979. Other difficulties they faced were the problems of the many languages and dialects and their ignorance of the true meaning of the various cultures, beliefs, values and ways of life of the people whom they set out to convert to Christianity. Reiterating what teacher education must encapsulate, Adegoke (2003) and Benneh (2006) indi-cated that the mission of Ghana's teacher education is to pro- Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Bremen, Research Center on Inequality and Social Policy (SOCIUM), Universitt Bremen. The greatest problem faced by the early European Christian missionaries was, the tropical climate and health Hazards. Specifically, it addresses the unique role of Christian missions in. 4; img 109. Their arrival in South Africa was aimed particularly at spreading the Word of God. Ramseyer had at first not intended a missionary sojourn in Ashanti. Properly meant by Anglo-Saxon standards. They impressed it upon their converts not to have anything to do with these traditional practices. Father Tetteh also took note of Father Burkes humility and devotion to his students. In 1827 it grew into Fourah Bay College. As a member of the Church of England, it interests me to see echoes of Christian educational efforts by organizations such as Compassion Canada in the educational efforts of the missionary branch of the Anglican Church, the Church Missionary Society, or CMS. The activities of the early Christian missionaries negatively affected the development of African traditional political institutions. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1995. station in 1858, it was not until 1889 that the missionaries entered Hausaland, which was predominantly Muslim. Besides being an online tutor, Ralph is an author and expert digital marketer with proven skills in SEO content writing. We must not lose sight of the fact that the colonial government in Ghana and elsewhere in Africa relied on the activities of the missionaries to help them achieve the objectives of colonial rule. In addition to teaching, he served as national spiritual director of the Ghana Sacred Heart Enthronement Centre and spiritual director of the Accra Diocesan Sacred Heart Centre. C.M.S. The first batch, who came out between 1804 and 1806, included pioneer missionaries like Renner and Nylander. Development of Education in Sierra Leone. Despite their significant contributions to education, local language development, agriculture and the economy as a whole, the missionaries have been criticized severally. 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). To put it differently, the motive was to gain acceptance in the sight of God so that after death they would be judged kindly by the heavenly father. Father Jean Marie Coquard, operating in and from Abeokuta for forty years, was renowned among the Egba as a priest and surgeon in the second half of the nineteenth century. There were several reasons for this poor education, some intentional and some not. Purchase a license below to view the full collection. The others included the Christian responsibility for the regeneration of African peoples. In such situations, the message sometimes appealed to the local people depending on the efficiency of the interpreter. For instance, the Basel Mission established the first teacher training college in Ghana. The early missionaries set up craft centres as part of their educational programmes. Father Burke spent more than half of his lifealmost 50 yearsin Ghana on the West Coast of Africa, said Father Edward Tetteh SVD, pastor of Blessed Sacrament-Our Lady of Divine Shepherd in Trenton, N.J. During his many years in Ghana, since he worked mostly in educational institutions, he produced excellent professionals: teachers, priests, ministers, doctors, engineers, lawyers, pharmacists, journalists and many others who work in different parts of the world.. In 1989-90, the government banned the activities of several religious organizations, including the Church. A new attempt to spread Christianity was made when the Church Missionary Society (CMS) arrived from Britain in 1821. The First Missionaries were sent as a result of a request by Major de Richelieu, Governor of Christiansborg. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UKEssays.com. Here you can choose which regional hub you wish to view, providing you with the most relevant information we have for your specific region. Christian missionaries were the first to introduce European-style education in sub-Saharan Africa. The missionaries opened schools further inland, and by 1880, the Wesleyan Mission had eighty -three schools. The training college later became part of Achimota College. Among the early Protestant evangelical societies founded in Great Britain were the Baptist Missionary Society, the Church Missionary Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, the Wesleyan Missionary Society and what became known as the Presbyterian Missionary Society of the Church of Scotland. In short, the impact of teaching in the vernacular was more negative than positive, as it reinforced colonial rule and no doubt did very little to preserve native cultural identities, seeing as missionaries promoted European languages as superior and only used the vernacular because conversion and religious instruction were such high priorities. This comes at no extra cost to you. In my study, I explored how colonial era conflicts and disagreements over marriage norms lastingly affected educational development. The effort of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. English The European missionaries believed that European culture was superior to African culture. The agricultural schools the missions ran would have been even more advantageous to the colonial governments considering the discouragement of local industries that might have competed with the motherland. An attempt to respond to this question informs the underlying interest for this paper, namely, to explore the extent to which these institutions, especially . The education provided in schools in early days also tended to place great emphasis on the superiority of western culture. Their personal and family choices influenced the expansion speed of missionary education. 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. Shaw, Mark. The original letters from abroad cover West Africa from 1899 to 1933. Unsurprisingly, the level of education increased as one moved closer to the missionaries. It was not until the nineteenth century, that the new religion was really established in West Africa. In this respect the Christian religion therefore differed from the traditional religions of West Africa, which along with an acceptance of one Supreme Being worshipped a hierarchy of gods. A History of West Africa, Cambridge University Press, 1969, Fynn , J. K and R. Addo-Fening History for Senior Secondary schools. The Basel missionaries arrived on the shores of the Gold Coast in 1828 and Discipleship and leadership development are needed in order to support local churches and their growth in Ghana. In 1880, two Roman Catholic priests of the Society of African Missions (S.M.A. 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. Within ten years the C.M.S had opened twelve more schools in what is today Cross Rivers State. In the field of education, however, the missionaries had to adjust their programmes to fit in with the policy of assimilation. Among these were the Congregation of the Holy Ghost (commonly known as the Holy Ghost Father), the Society of African Missions (SMA), the Society of Missionaries of Africa, popularly known as the White Fathers because of the white Muslim-like clothing which the Fathers wore, and the society of the Divine Word (SVD, abbreviated from its Latin name). Debrunner, Hans Werner. The History of Christianity in West Africa. They relied very much on their home churches for their funds. Rather, it denationalized and facilitated the indignity and loss of cultural identity of the Ghanaian. From the second half of the eighteenth century, a fervent wave of evangelical spirit developed in the United Kingdom, Europe and the New World which inspired men and women with the missionary fervour to found religious societies whose members would go out to Africa and the other lands. Today, human sacrifice is generally frowned upon and considered an abomination. When he arrived in Nkwatia-Kwahu to teach English at St. Peters Secondary School, the town had yet to benefit from electricity and running water. endstream endobj 504 0 obj <>>>/Lang(en)/MarkInfo<>/Metadata 55 0 R/Outlines 135 0 R/Pages 498 0 R/StructTreeRoot 142 0 R/Type/Catalog/ViewerPreferences<>>> endobj 505 0 obj <>/MediaBox[0 0 612 792]/Parent 499 0 R/Resources<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageC]/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> endobj 506 0 obj <>stream Edward Berman notes that contemporary critics of the missionaries felt that missionaries were more interested in increasing enrolments in their respective churches than in pooling their resources for the benefit of African education (Berman 1974:533). For instance, in Nigeria, one of the first groups of missionaries to introduce organised medical services were the Roman Catholics. The constant tensions between traditionalists and Christian converts often erupted into all-out conflicts. It also plays an important role in organization of inheritances within matrilineal houses and thus exerts influence from a legal point of view. bible knowledge 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 A special memorial Mass was celebrated at the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Accra, Ghana, on Oct. 9. English for life John G. Christaller (described as the Father of Twi Literature) produced a Twi grammar and dictionary, a collection of Twi proverbs, a Twi translation of the Bible as well as prayers and hymns. The early European Christian missionaries in West Africa experienced a number of difficulties, some arising from factors outside their control and others of their own making. These included the Baptist missionaries who under the American evangelist, Thomas Bowen, started work from Ogbomosho in 1855. Missionaries travelled through dense evergreen forests, crossed rivers and climbed mountains to bring the Gospel to as many Ghanaians as they could. This research was funded by the European Research Council. In Ghana the Presbyterians were pioneers in reducing Ga and Twi into writing. Samuel Adu-Gyamfi And Benjamin Kye Ampadu, Ajayi, J..F.A and Michael Crowder History of West Africa. History of the church in Africa: a survey. However, the discovery of quinine and other curative medicines in the late 19th century made the history of the missionary work in West Africa a different thing altogether. They constitute the benefits that the missionaries brought to Africa as a whole. began work in many parts of Africa. Another important German missionary was Wilhelm Johannson, better known by the English version of his name, William Johnson, who is revered in the history of the CMS in West Africa. All rights reserved. Just look at the lyrics of this evangelizing song written in 1819 by Reginald Heber, a prolific English hymnist in the Anglican church. In Nigeria, one of the lasting works of the C.M.S missionaries was the development of literature in Yoruba. He introduced the Methodist Church in Asante in 1839, and won the support of the Asante king. Wed love to get to know you and discuss how God is calling you. Until almost the end of the colonial period education was still largely in the hands of the churches. Although the aim of the traders was to practice commerce famous poems Secondary Schools in the Protectorate started later, following the establishment of Bo Government Secondary School in 1906. 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. 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.