Although the missions adopted different approaches to the implementation of their policies, they all seemed to agree that literacy education should be regarded as an integral part of their work; they also seemed to have agreed that missionary education should aim at converting the children to Christianity thus creating a society in which the village teacher was also the evangelist.
In the process of implementing their policies the missions faced some problem; firstly, there were no central school laws and there were no standards for running the schools; varying techniques were adopted for schools management. Secondly, there were no standard qualification for teachers; there were no regulations guiding the movements of teachers and children who came to school and left school during the school hours at will.
Thirdly, there was disagreement over the concept of school between the missionaries and many of the parents who thought that their children already had enough religious instructions at home and that it was a misplacement of emphasis for the missions to concentrate on religious instructions; instead of this the parents wanted concentration on practical education that would prepare the children for activities at home so that they could be respectful and be serviceable to their parents.
Fourthly, there was inadequate finance; the schools were maintained by their local missions with occasional donations from abroad; the missions were forced to change fees at one stage much against their wish. Lack of adequate funds also affected teachers and no training colleges; the problem of funds and shortage of teachers was acute that some schools had to be closed down.
SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 4
to power in each of the three regions in 1952, intensive political rivalry developed and each party tried to outdo the other in providing social amenities of its own area of jurisdiction. The Eastern and Western regional governments headed by the N.C.N.C. and Action group respectively placed highest priority on education.
“To assess the resources available for future development, to study the possibilities for development in the major sectors of the economy and to make recommendations for practical steps to be taken including the timing and co-ordination of development activities.”
In the process of implementing their policies the missions faced some problem; firstly, there were no central school laws and there were no standards for running the schools; varying techniques were adopted for schools management. Secondly, there were no standard qualification for teachers; there were no regulations guiding the movements of teachers and children who came to school and left school during the school hours at will.
Thirdly, there was disagreement over the concept of school between the missionaries and many of the parents who thought that their children already had enough religious instructions at home and that it was a misplacement of emphasis for the missions to concentrate on religious instructions; instead of this the parents wanted concentration on practical education that would prepare the children for activities at home so that they could be respectful and be serviceable to their parents.
Fourthly, there was inadequate finance; the schools were maintained by their local missions with occasional donations from abroad; the missions were forced to change fees at one stage much against their wish. Lack of adequate funds also affected teachers and no training colleges; the problem of funds and shortage of teachers was acute that some schools had to be closed down.
SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 4
- Name two of the problems face by the missions in the process of implementing their educational policies
- Describe one of these problems.
Government Involvement
In 1951, the McPherson constitution was introduced in Nigeria. This constitution provided for democratic election to the regional houses of assembly, empowered each region to raise and appropriate funds, and more importantly, had power to pass laws on education, health, agriculture and local Government. With the regionalization in 1951 and the rise of three major political partiesto power in each of the three regions in 1952, intensive political rivalry developed and each party tried to outdo the other in providing social amenities of its own area of jurisdiction. The Eastern and Western regional governments headed by the N.C.N.C. and Action group respectively placed highest priority on education.
The World Bank Mission
At the request of government of Nigeria and the United Kingdom the international Bank for Reconstruction and Development organized a mission to Nigeria in 1953. The mission was:“To assess the resources available for future development, to study the possibilities for development in the major sectors of the economy and to make recommendations for practical steps to be taken including the timing and co-ordination of development activities.”
The fact that the mission’s report was operated mainly as the Nigerian National Development Plan from 1955 to 1960 shows how important it was. It was also significant that it come on the eve of the Nigeria’s political independence; it thus prepared the country’s economy for this important landmark. The education plan of the mission followed the Ten-year education plan which had ended in 1954 and thus provide for continuity in Nigerian educational development.
The mission noted the remarkable demand for education in Nigeria and warned that there was danger of an enrolment explosion at the primary level if it was not backed up with equally rapid enrolment in the training of teachers. The mission observed that:
“The problem is to provide a proper balance between the urge for rapid expansion of educational facilities and the need to maintain adequate standards of instruction.”
The two events, the Regionalization of education and the World Bank mission precede the launching of free universal primary education in the western region in 1955, in the eastern region in 1957 and in the Federal Territory in 1957.
The second missionary endeavor to establish primary school in Nigeria
CONCLUSION Primary education, which is the foundation of formal education, has finally changed into universal Basic Education.
The two events, the Regionalization of education and the World Bank mission precede the launching of free universal primary education in the western region in 1955, in the eastern region in 1957 and in the Federal Territory in 1957.
The second missionary endeavor to establish primary school in Nigeria
CONCLUSION Primary education, which is the foundation of formal education, has finally changed into universal Basic Education.
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