INTRODUCTION
In the last two units, we have discussed the origin and development of Western Education in Nigeria. We concentrated on primary education in those two units. In this unit, we are going to discuss how pre- primary education started in Nigeria. It is going to be an interesting discussion since this unit will form the basis of our discussion in the other chapters. Moreover, the development of pre-primary education in Nigeria has a link with the formal education, which was introduced in the 19th century.
The history of pre- primary school education in Nigeria can be traced to the Christian Missionaries who introduced Western education in the 19th century. The earliest schools in Nigeria were mostly organized within the church premises. The nursery schools were usually organized by wives of the Missionaries for their children and the children of their members. They also organized Sunday schools in which one of the classes would be for children. As time went on, the number of children involved in such Sunday classes increased. This encouraged the Missionaries to formalize the Sunday school classes which later became a Monday to Friday affair. In other words, the teaching and learning in the schools were no more limited to Sundays (Akinbote, et al 2001). They were now taking place on weekdays like the other formal schools. This could really be regarded as the origin of pre- school establishment in Nigeria. Later on, as more Europeans came into Nigeria either as missionaries, traders or members of the colonial administration, the demand for pre- school establishment increased. Since the European settled mainly in the Government Reserved Area (G.R.A.), the first sets of pre- primary schools to be established outside the missions were in the GRA. This explains why the first sets of pre-school establishment were found only in the big cities that were either capital cities or commercial centres. In this case, cities such as Lagos Warri, Ibadan, Port- Harcourt, Enugu, Benin, Kaduna, Jos among a few others were the places with large concentration of Europeans which had Nursery schools in those days.
As regards the pre-school establishments that were run by private individuals and groups, they continued to expand. This was as a result of their being patronized by some Nigerian elites who had either travelled abroad or were working with the colonial administration or the private companies. They realized the importance of pre-school education and were able to pay the fees charged. Many Nigerians as at that time could not afford the fees paid in the privately owned pre-school establishments. Some even saw the pre-primary schools as unnecessary luxury. Therefore, the pre-school establishments in Nigeria before independence were mainly patronized by the Europeans and a few Nigerian top civil servants or those in the multi-national companies. As much as it is difficult to know the number of such school in Nigeria before independence, it is also difficult to say where and when the first pre- primary school was established. As we shall see in the next section of this unit, the growth rate of pre- school establishments in Nigeria after independence has been great and rapid.
First, the establishment of new universities in Ife, Lagos, Nsukka, Port- Harcourt, Zaria, Jos, Ilorin and Benin in the first two decades after independence meant a lot. As earlier mentioned, more workers both academic and non-academic were recruited. Those that were foreigners needed pre- school establishment for their children. This led to the establishment of nursery schools in the new Universities. In the same way, Nigerian workers in the universities also demanded pre-school education for their children. You should note that many of such Nigerians who took up top academic or administrative positions in the universities had been to the European and North American countries. So, they too knew the importance of pre- school establishments for their children.
After independence, there was an increase in the level of industrialization in Nigeria particularly after the Civil War, Thus, the economic life of the people improved considerably as more people became gainfully employed. As the financial position of people improved particularly during the era of oil boom, their tastes also changed. Many people now wanted their children to attend the pre-primary schools which they could not afford before. This increase in demand for places in the existing pre- primary school led to their expansion while new ones were established.
Similarly, with the many existing employment opportunities, many women took up paid employment either in government services or in the private organizations. It therefore became necessary for such women to look for places to keep their children while they were away at work. You will remember that the National UPE programme was introduced in 1976. This led to many boys and girls going to school hence there were no more houseboys and girls as it used to be for employment by the working mothers. In the traditional societies, grandmothers and other relations were always around to help in taking care of their children. However, with the rapid urbanization that took place in the country after the civil war, it became difficult to get the assistance of such good old relations. As a matter of fact, many of them got involved in some economic activities which gave them no time to go and stay with any grand child or other relations.
Generally speaking therefore the two decades after independence witnessed some great improvement in the level of economic power on the part of our people. The importance of pre- school education was also recognized and people then had the financial means to send their children there. As we shall discuss later, the Government Policy on Pre- primary education which was published in 1977 encouraged many Nigerians to establish nursery schools.
Explain how pre-school education started in Nigeria.
Your answer should include the following points:
In the last two units, we have discussed the origin and development of Western Education in Nigeria. We concentrated on primary education in those two units. In this unit, we are going to discuss how pre- primary education started in Nigeria. It is going to be an interesting discussion since this unit will form the basis of our discussion in the other chapters. Moreover, the development of pre-primary education in Nigeria has a link with the formal education, which was introduced in the 19th century.
OBJECTIVES
After studying this unit carefully you should be able to:- explain how pre- primary school education started in Nigeria. · enumerate the factors which led to the rapid growth of pre-school establishment in Nigeria since the 70s.
- The Pre-Independence Era
The Early Missionary Efforts
In unit six, we discussed the development of pre- primary education in Europe. In that unit, you learnt how individuals and groups first started nursery schools in Britain on humanitarian grounds. You still remember the Dane school, which was started by old women in Britain. You will also remember that when the British government developed interest in pre- school education, it was not built as a separate school. Rather it was in the same building with public primary schools. The pre-primary section of the public schools was known as the infant classes. Let us now consider how it started in Nigeria.The history of pre- primary school education in Nigeria can be traced to the Christian Missionaries who introduced Western education in the 19th century. The earliest schools in Nigeria were mostly organized within the church premises. The nursery schools were usually organized by wives of the Missionaries for their children and the children of their members. They also organized Sunday schools in which one of the classes would be for children. As time went on, the number of children involved in such Sunday classes increased. This encouraged the Missionaries to formalize the Sunday school classes which later became a Monday to Friday affair. In other words, the teaching and learning in the schools were no more limited to Sundays (Akinbote, et al 2001). They were now taking place on weekdays like the other formal schools. This could really be regarded as the origin of pre- school establishment in Nigeria. Later on, as more Europeans came into Nigeria either as missionaries, traders or members of the colonial administration, the demand for pre- school establishment increased. Since the European settled mainly in the Government Reserved Area (G.R.A.), the first sets of pre- primary schools to be established outside the missions were in the GRA. This explains why the first sets of pre-school establishment were found only in the big cities that were either capital cities or commercial centres. In this case, cities such as Lagos Warri, Ibadan, Port- Harcourt, Enugu, Benin, Kaduna, Jos among a few others were the places with large concentration of Europeans which had Nursery schools in those days.
The Public School Experience
We must however not forget that like the British system of education, our primary schools during the colonial period also had what was known as the infant class which formed part of the public schools in Britain in those days. So, before Nigerian children would start the Standard One Class in those days, they must have spent two years in the infant school also known as the preparatory classes. Although, some of the children found in the infant classes then were in most cases older than the normal children. However, they performed similar roles like the normal nursery schools. That is, preparing children for the primary level of education. This type of school was very common in different parts of Nigeria up till about 1955 when the free primary education was introduced in the West. You will still recall that it was the Western Region UPE programme that reduced the duration of primary education from eight to six years. Therefore, the colonial policy of running pre-primary education as an arm of the public primary education system was changed by the Western Region Government.As regards the pre-school establishments that were run by private individuals and groups, they continued to expand. This was as a result of their being patronized by some Nigerian elites who had either travelled abroad or were working with the colonial administration or the private companies. They realized the importance of pre-school education and were able to pay the fees charged. Many Nigerians as at that time could not afford the fees paid in the privately owned pre-school establishments. Some even saw the pre-primary schools as unnecessary luxury. Therefore, the pre-school establishments in Nigeria before independence were mainly patronized by the Europeans and a few Nigerian top civil servants or those in the multi-national companies. As much as it is difficult to know the number of such school in Nigeria before independence, it is also difficult to say where and when the first pre- primary school was established. As we shall see in the next section of this unit, the growth rate of pre- school establishments in Nigeria after independence has been great and rapid.
Post Independence Era
We have just discussed how pre-primary education started in Nigeria with the effort of the Missionaries. We also discussed the gradual spread of the pre- school establishment s outside the mission house to the GRA before independence. Now let us discuss what happened to pre-school education after independence. The political, economic, social and industrial development of Nigeria improved considerably after independence. With the expansion in education particularly at the territory level, many workers both foreigners and Nigerians took up appointment with new universities at Ile-Ife, Lagos, Nsukka, Zaria and even at the premier University of Ibadan. Similarly, more Nigerians took up top management positions in the Civil Service, the various corporations and the multinational companies. Above all, more foreign inventors came into Nigeria in large numbers with their families. What then could we regard as the implication of the new job opportunities for Nigerians particularly during the first two decades after independence?First, the establishment of new universities in Ife, Lagos, Nsukka, Port- Harcourt, Zaria, Jos, Ilorin and Benin in the first two decades after independence meant a lot. As earlier mentioned, more workers both academic and non-academic were recruited. Those that were foreigners needed pre- school establishment for their children. This led to the establishment of nursery schools in the new Universities. In the same way, Nigerian workers in the universities also demanded pre-school education for their children. You should note that many of such Nigerians who took up top academic or administrative positions in the universities had been to the European and North American countries. So, they too knew the importance of pre- school establishments for their children.
After independence, there was an increase in the level of industrialization in Nigeria particularly after the Civil War, Thus, the economic life of the people improved considerably as more people became gainfully employed. As the financial position of people improved particularly during the era of oil boom, their tastes also changed. Many people now wanted their children to attend the pre-primary schools which they could not afford before. This increase in demand for places in the existing pre- primary school led to their expansion while new ones were established.
Similarly, with the many existing employment opportunities, many women took up paid employment either in government services or in the private organizations. It therefore became necessary for such women to look for places to keep their children while they were away at work. You will remember that the National UPE programme was introduced in 1976. This led to many boys and girls going to school hence there were no more houseboys and girls as it used to be for employment by the working mothers. In the traditional societies, grandmothers and other relations were always around to help in taking care of their children. However, with the rapid urbanization that took place in the country after the civil war, it became difficult to get the assistance of such good old relations. As a matter of fact, many of them got involved in some economic activities which gave them no time to go and stay with any grand child or other relations.
Generally speaking therefore the two decades after independence witnessed some great improvement in the level of economic power on the part of our people. The importance of pre- school education was also recognized and people then had the financial means to send their children there. As we shall discuss later, the Government Policy on Pre- primary education which was published in 1977 encouraged many Nigerians to establish nursery schools.
SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Explain how pre-school education started in Nigeria.
Your answer should include the following points:
- Beginning with Sunday school
- The changeover to Monday-Friday classes
- GRA school for children of the Europeans
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