contribution of missionaries to education in ghana

Efforts to change these norms were often aimed at women. Given their priorities, it should thus come as little surprise that missions often provided poor education to the African pupils. Origins, organization and effects in the development of West Africa, 3: Islam in West Africa. In fact, most of the norms opposed by missionaries concerned gender relationships. The role of the Christian missionaries in Ghana and West Africa was not limited to the education and agricultural sectors alone. Among his pioneering achievements, he arranged for three youths to be sent to England for training as evangelists. Registered office: Creative Tower, Fujairah, PO Box 4422, UAE. Soon after, in 1835 they moved up to Akropon on the hills in Akuapem, where the pioneer missionary the Rev. 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. First, missions saw education foremost as a means of conversion (Ayandele 1966: 286; Bassey 1991: 36; Berman 1974:527; Foster 1965:85; Sheffield 1973:11). In the same year as the Basel missionaries settled in Akuapem in 1835, the Wesleyan (later Methodist) Church was established at Cape Coast by the Rev. Thomas Birch Freeman, son of a London-based West Indian father and an English mother. 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. These included the Baptist missionaries who under the American evangelist, Thomas Bowen, started work from Ogbomosho in 1855. Human Zoos: Untold History of Suppression, The Legend of King Ulu (Ancient Thai Folklore), The Kingdom of Saud of The Arabs (Saudi Arabia), The Wesley Brothers of Oxford University (1700s), Razia Sultan of Medieval India (786 Years Ago), The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade (The Revelation), Education in Africa: The Impact of Colonialism, Why The Legendary Geneva Bible was Banned. senior high school English They worked tirelessly to lay a foundation for formal education The European missionaries established elementary and second-cycle institutions in the country. One Liberian student recalls that we were taught to dress properly, to eat properly, to speak properly. I found that while educational outcomes are generally better in places that were exposed to Christian missions in the colonial era, traditionally polygamous societies benefited less. Unlike the Portuguese, the French colonial officials encouraged the Christian missionaries in the promotion of formal education and social services, notably health. senior high school government The European missionaries believed that European culture was superior to African culture. They relied very much on their home churches for their funds. They often attributed natural ailments to supernatural causes and resorted to mystic cults to appease the unknown spirit, before applying medicine to the sick person. Despite the skills and opportunities mission schooling afforded, many Africans were not willing to pay the price. Andrew Foster (educator) - Wikipedia T. Nelson. But with the abolition of slavery, the introduction of cocoa, and the Churchs efficient school system, she gradually became the Church of the social elite. Christianity reborn: the global expansion of evangelicalism in the twentieth century. We use cookies to improve your experience on our website. Next, branches of the C.M.S. Besides education, they cared for the sick. Contribution of Christian Missionaries in Ghana - Cegast Academy Other Roman Catholic hospitals were built in all the nine regions of the country; including those at Asikuma and Foso (Central Region), Akyem Swedru (Eastern Region), Berekum (BrongAhafo), Maase (Asante Region) and Anfoega (Volta Region). Box 2 of the papers relating to the Society's activities in West Africa. church were founded in south-eastern Nigeria, the chief centres being Bonny and Brass. Third, rivalry between the various Christian denominations also contributed to the poor standards of education. homework help Today, human sacrifice is generally frowned upon and considered an abomination. They provided missionaries a way to spread Eurocentric norms and attract new converts. %PDF-1.7 % Establishment of Christian Churches In Nigeria. Prior to the advent of western education, Ghana's traditional social structures had inbuilt opportunities for mobility. Grammar School for Boys in 1859, St Gregorys College opened by the Catholics in 1876, Methodist Boys High School 1878 and Methodist Girls High School 1879. Their greatest legacy in the field of education was the foundation which the Methodist laid for what is today the Gambia High school. Moreover, mission education formed a poor foundation for future educational conditions in the former colonies. This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. crs questions and anwers Mission schools provided a steady stream of educated Africans capable of filling the lower levels of the colonial administration and operated vocational and agricultural schools (Ayandele 1966: 295; Foster 1965: 90-91; Sheffield 1973: 10-11). Cultural deprivation is what many of us suffer from []. Later that year, in recognition of his service to the Ghanaian people, President John Dramani Mahama bestowed the honor of Officer of the Order of Volta upon him. They impressed it upon their converts not to have anything to do with these traditional practices. Its message was that of love and the universal brotherhood of mankind. The activities of the early Christian missionaries negatively affected the development of African traditional political institutions. In addition to contributing to fluctuating educational standards across the colony, inter-denominational rivalry caused a disparity in access to education. The others include the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1804, which was tasked with the responsibility of promoting the translation and printing of the Holy Bible. In addition to studying the impact of these struggles on education, we also need to understand how they influenced gender inequality. New missionary societies (the LMS, the CMS, the Holy Ghost Fathers, the White Fathers, etc.) Moreover, they introduced new crops into the Ghanaian economy. Crampton, Edmund Patrick Thurman. The contents of this tutorial will serve as a guide for a suitable essay on the below WAEC/WASSCE History past question. The European missionaries engaged in trading and other commercial activities as well. The Committee for Women's Work was responsible for the education of native girls. Thank you for supporting this project. These new movements considered such ventures to be their contribution to Europes reparation for centuries of exploitation of Africans, reparation for the centuries of exploitation which the Trans Atlantic slave trade had caused to African society. Wm. Yet, the relationship between European missionaries and African populations had some contradictions. It offered the most direct path towards prestigious jobs in colonial administrations and European enterprises. In this essay on the impact of Christian missionary activities on Ghanaian society, we shall examine the role of the missionaries in the development of Ghana and the rest of Africa. Your email address will not be published. Further, the missionaries introduced improved methods of farming together with modern farm implements. 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. Soon after the Methodist experiment, the church Missionary Society set up their own school at Badagry. The latter, non-academic form of education provided by the missions has stimulated much interest among scholars, who are particularly interested in the failure of many of these schools and the hypocritical government support for the schools, seeing as the import of cheap goods from the mother countries caused many vocational school graduates, such as seamstresses, to be unemployed (Ayandele 1966:296; Foster 1965:134). First, I looked at how educational outcomes depended on the distance to historical missions. 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. Therefore, whether through their rigid educational polices or lack thereof, colonial governments contributed to the poor education, though there is no denying that missionaries also contributed to the quality of education to a great extent. The missions agricultural schools were especially beneficial for colonial governments considering that governments believed that manual labour was a means to prevent discontent and unrest in the tribes (Hansen 1984:232). The blessings which Christianity has brought to West Africa are many. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The effort of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Baker Pub Group, 1996. The kingdom of God in Africa: A short history of African Christianity. Henry Townsend who went from Sierra Leone to Badagry in 1842 in his company was the Rev Ajayi Crowther. Alignment is the degree of congruence between your teaching philosophy and your institution's mission. This made it difficult for the early missionaries to stay in the country for long. the role of administrators, chiefs and the missions; first attempts at agricultural and industrial training; girls' education and teacher training before 1850; some chief factors in educational expansion 1850-1900; government official policy in educational expansion 1850-1900; agricultural, industrial and vernacular training 1850-1900 It also plays an important role in organization of inheritances within matrilineal houses and thus exerts influence from a legal point of view. No plagiarism, guaranteed! In 2006, Father Burke was appointed lecturer at the newly founded Catholic University College of Ghana in Sunyani. Ekechi, Felix K. Colonialism and Christianity in West Africa: The Igbo Case, 19001915. The Journal of African History 12, no. Before we examine the contribution of Christian missionaries in Ghana, we need to identify the missionaries that came to Ghana. The tropical climatic condition in the country was not favourable to the early missionaries who came to the shores of West Africa. 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. In Ghana, for instance, they persuaded their converts to reject polygamy and human sacrifice. Box 6000, Techny, IL 60082-6000. Listen as we explore missions, theology, and practice to help senders and goers alike. His work, however, did not extend much beyond Cape Coast and the neighbouring area. The Basel missionaries arrived on the shores of the Gold Coast in 1828 and Website design and development by Americaneagle.com, Inc, Society of the Divine Word- Western Province, Society of the Divine Word- Southern Province. This comes at no extra cost to you. In the 19thh century, too, Afro-Brazilians returned to Benin and Nigeria with Catholicism. J. G. Christaller produced a Twi Grammar and Dictionary. For instance, in southern Nigeria, the CMS policy was to teach in the vernacular at the primary level, while the Roman Catholic Missions policy was to teach in English (Bassey 1991:42). Senior High School Literature The early missionaries set up craft centres as part of their educational programmes. The Methodists founded Mfantsipim (1876) for boys and Wesley Girls High School (1884). famous poems endstream endobj startxref They did a lot to impact the social and economic lives of Africans. Over time and with the dedication of teachers like Father Burke, the school rose to prominence. student life 26. Mission schools were popular because of the new skills and opportunities they offered. For instance, in Ghana, it was in 1858 that Rev. Father Burke, whose students included Father Tetteh and Archbishop Charles Palmer-Buckle of Accra, arrived in Ghana, West Africa, in 1963, only four years after the country gained independence from Great Britain. Following ordination, he was sent to Washington, D.C., and the Catholic University of America, where he earned a masters degree in English literature. 1931. Another difficulty that the early missionaries faced in the spread of Christianity was insufficient Christian literature at that time. We shall now turn our attention to the activities of the Christian missionaries in Ghana. Their activities had both positive and negative effects on Ghanaian society. 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. 1. The original Yaba College in Lagos has grown into a polytechnic. Non-African Poetry All work is written to order. His viewing and wake service took place on Sept. 26 at the chapel in the Divine Word Residence at Techny. But that increase was greater in monogamous societies. The practice of inflicting multiple wounds on the bodies of so-called spirit babies now belongs to history. This single problem made the missionary work very difficult. The achievement of the purpose of these Christian Missions came with some costs. It was not until the nineteenth century, that the new religion was really established in West Africa. They include Sierra Leone 1900-1933; Ghana 1903; Cape Verde 1904-1910; and St Vincent 1907-1912. So why did the European missionaries come to Ghana and other parts of Africa? Yes! wassce literature questions. Who is Mrs. Konrad in Second Class Citizen? Again, the missionaries helped to pacify Africans while their rich natural resources were being plundered by the colonial government. university courses For example, they made our people view polygamy and puberty rites as pagan practices. Often drumming and the harmless songs and dances of the people were condemned. The school, which was established the year of independence in 1957, was a work in progress. In fact, the Christian missionaries encouraged Ghanaians to reject African names and choose Christian names instead. A new era began with the settlements of Black Christians from Nova Scotia in Sierra Leone in 1787 and the missionary advance inland from Cape Town beginning with the arrival there of J. T. van der Kemp in 1799. The Methodists founded the Boys High School in 1874, and another high school for girls six years later. Contribution of the Methodist Church to education in Ghana JNE sustains a commitment to a threefold mission: first, to stimulate the collection and facilitate the dissemination of facts about the education of Black people; second, to present discussions involving critical appraisals of the proposals and practices relating to the education of Black people; and third, to stimulate and sponsor investigations of issues incident to the education of Black people. They were to spread the message of the Gospel, render social services to the people and to assist in the suppression of slavery and the slave trade. 522 0 obj <>stream PDF OVERVIEW OF EDUCATION IN GHANA - WikiEducator This research was funded by the European Research Council. However, the early missionaries established medical centres, at first at their mission posts, and later far and wide, to attend to the sick. ), Father Auguste Moreau and Father Eugene Murat, arrived at Elmina and revived the Roman Catholic Church in Ghana. Similar organizations were formed in several other European countries. Mobility depended on the . In Ghana the Presbyterians were pioneers in reducing Ga and Twi into writing. Teacher Education in Ghana - SAGE Journals 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. Ghana - Statistics and Church Facts | Total Church Membership Moreover, speaking through interpreters is a defective means of communicating ones thoughts to ones audience. 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 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. Their converts increased steadily in numbers until 1821 when a section broke away to form the first independent African, Christian church in West Africa, called the West Africa Methodist Church. hR]0+^$%K{_"/HevgV+bH6L %)`\ #\E*63Z_TsxlRZj:[/\IL-1b-i This instruction in 1948 developed into the University College in Ibadan. They also prescribed many taboos which, in the light of modern medical science, had no relation whatever with the illness being treated. According to the Head of the Methodist Church in Ghana, Mmofraturo was established in Kumasi, 'when it dawned on the early Wesleyan Missionaries that when the girl child was educated, she could grow up to face the challenges of the fast-changing world. He worked zealously as an evangelist and schoolmaster in the Castle School until his death in 1816. His request to the Danish Crown for missionaries was forwarded to . After completing that assignment, Father Burkes superiors asked him to teach English as a second language (ESL) to Divine Word missionaries who did not know the language. A large body of studies show that missionaries had a lasting impact beyond their early years. One of them, Philip Quaque, returned in 1765 as an ordained priest. Ghana continued to call. An attempt to respond to this question informs the underlying interest for this paper, namely, to explore the extent to which these institutions, especially . Asuikante Gabriella Atengdem - Senior Research Assistant - University What are the contribution of the missionaries? - Alqatirat Waterville Pub. For example, the missionaries preached against certain aspects of African culture they considered barbaric or satanic or both. I also matched up locations that differed in proximity to the mission stations, but otherwise had similar preconditions for educational development. The Committee for Women's Work was responsible for the education of native girls. He moved to Techny in 2016. ), Father Auguste Moreau and Father Eugene Murat, arrived at Elmina and revived the Roman Catholic Church in Ghana. By February 2, 1918, all Basel missionaries had been deported from the Gold Coast. Christian converts were indoctrinated to frown upon the use of indigenous first names in favour of Christian ones. Nevertheless, the first higher institution in Ghana, now the Presbyterian Training College at Akuapem Akropon, was established in 1848, first as a centre for training catechists, and later to train teachers as well as ministers of the Presbyterian Church. Series CLR. Economics Johannes Zimmermann wrote a grammar of the Ga language and translated the entire Bible and a Bible history into Ga. Then in 1874, the Rev. DISCLOSURE. It is important for several reasons. past questions A notable example, in Ghana, was the Methodist experimental farm near Cape Coast whose crops included cotton, coffee, black pepper, mango, ginger, cinnamon and olive trees. This allowed me to estimate the impact of mission schooling directly. The next major Christian missionaries to go out to Sierra Leone were the Roman Catholics. The greatest problem faced by the early European Christian missionaries was, the tropical climate and health Hazards. Initially, a majority of the missionary journeys was done with English-Speaking Protestants and later, in the 1820s and 1830s, they were joined by continental Protestantism from Germany, Switzerland and France. Although the aim of the traders was to practice commerce Here you can choose which regional hub you wish to view, providing you with the most relevant information we have for your specific region. In 1910, a prominent report of the World Missionary Conference concluded: [T]here can be no question of polygamy. Their records from World War One show their distance from the war and yet that it did affect . They had to speak through few interpreters who did not have sufficient education to interpret correctly. Last, missionaries provided a very poor education, causing their students to be ill-equipped for social or material success, as they believed education to simply be a means for proselytization, were unqualified teachers, and allowed inter-denominational rivalries to interfere. West African Senior School Certificate Examination. In Nigeria, one of the lasting works of the C.M.S. 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. The missionaries opened schools further inland, and by 1880, the Wesleyan Mission had eighty -three schools. 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). 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. mock tests I have used my expertise to design and implement strategies for major projects including new programme development, global proposals, book launches, international talks, lectures, and executive . better grades Ralph teaches English for Academic Purposes (EAP) online. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'cegastacademy_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_15',609,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-cegastacademy_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');The European missionaries began their activities in Ghana as far back as the early fifteenth century. Textbooks were heavily biased towards western ideas and values. 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. Secondary Schools in the Protectorate started later, following the establishment of Bo Government Secondary School in 1906. Specifically, it addresses the unique role of Christian missions in. While colonial administration in colonies such as Kenya attempted to some degree to provide training for Kenyans to fill the high-level positions (Sheffield 1973:86), the attempts in many cases fell short, and when the European administration left, Kenya, for instance, had few sufficiently educated replacements (Sheffield 1973:88). Even when governments discouraged domestic industries, graduates of vocational schools contributed to the economy of the colonies -and therefore indirectly the mother countrys as well. The original letters from abroad cover West Africa from 1899 to 1933. ]v#5%{,%Y{iKsZ|Cm7NismGmg_zxKYh?>bQ?ni8G.wx:qAm$ eb!^Kr$,.9Qq^|1. This hymn sums up the reasons why the Christian missionaries came to Africa and other parts of the world. The Journal of Negro Education, 2019 Initially,. Following agitation by the people in 1934, the government opened the old Yaba Higher College and Medical School, which awarded diplomas acceptable only locally. But despite the work of Portuguese missionaries based on the island of Sao Tome and later of Spanish missionaries in Benin, it was not until the nineteenth century that the Christian religion was firmly established in Nigeria. Containing 9,566 pages belonging to 77 documents housed in 6 volumes As outlined in the short history entitled. For instance, in the Salisbury region of Rhodesia, it was reported in 1924 that no male teachers had educational qualifications (Bone 1969:28). Longman Group Ltd. London and Basingstoke, 1986, Fage, J.D. PDF Formal Education in Gold Coast-Ghana: An Overview of Colonial Policies As an institution introduced by agents with radically different values, the Christian religion damaged the culture and traditional beliefs of the people of West Africa. The missionaries condemned African religion, music, art, festivals and customary practices. The restrictions intensified until in the second week of 1917, when all German missionaries were rounded up, brought to Accra and deportations began on December 16. He introduced the Methodist Church in Asante in 1839, and won the support of the Asante king. Rev. Until almost the end of the colonial period education was still largely in the hands of the churches. Being ignorant of the significance of certain institutions and practices of the people of West Africa, and occasionally being misled by their over-zealous followings into wrongly interpreting the peoples heritage, the missionaries compelled pupils in their schools and docile adult converts to shun their own ancestral practices. The Wesleyan and Basel missionaries established schools in Cape Coast, Accra . This box contains: the correspondence of Bishop See thematic groupings of our digital collections, See all of our digital collections in one place, Ghana in Records from Colonial Missionaries, 1886-1951, Copies of letters received, 1890-1927; West Africa, vol. Some observers have argued that the Europeans used the Christian bible to justify the practice of slavery and the slave trade. CONTRIBUTION OF CHRISTIANITY TO WEST AFRICA. As a predominantly Roman Catholic country, France encouraged Roman Catholic missionaries right from the start of her colonial activities in West Africa. Shaw, Mark. 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. Early missions conducted by Roman Catholics were short-lived. 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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.. The missionaries seemed to have concentrated much of their effort on the production of export crops. The mission schools trained Africans to be able to work as translators, messengers and office clerks for the colonial government. Longman Nigeria Plc., 1994, Boahen, A.A. et al Tropics in West Africa History. In short, it was a very successful mission in making us little black Anglo-Saxon Protestants. 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. Required fields are marked *. Within a short time the missionaries spread their activities inland. For instance, the Basel Mission established the first teacher training college in Ghana.