INTRODUCTON
In the last unit you learnt about the meaning of primary education the purpose of primary education ,the purpose of primary education during the missionary era, the purpose of primary school in the original government era, and the universal primary education .In this unity you will learn about the origin of primary school, first missionary Endeavour in establishment of primary school the second Endeavour, of the missionaries in establishment of primary schools , the educational practice of the missionaries and government involvement in primary education.
Nigeria is thus the most populated country in Africa. This population is an important resource for national development; but human resources without training cannot be regarded as contribution to national development. Education is therefore very crucial to development as it help to develop the human resources for exploitation of natural resources.
Nigeria’s population is diversified .There are over 250 different cultural group with distinct linguistic characteristics. The largest among these are Hausa, Ibo, and Yoruba. Beside the cultural and linguistic differences, there are also religious differences. Islam and Christianity are the two religious of the people and both play major roles in the development and course of education in Nigeria. A third religion, the traditional religion of Nigeria before introduction of Christianity and Islam. Animation is still practiced by a good number of Nigerians. Although it is now the smallest of the three religious of Nigeria, it is nevertheless embedded in the culture of the people and its beliefs and practices are in the background of a substantial number of people and practices are in the background of a substantial number of people who have accepted and practice both the Christian and Islamic faiths.
Another factor that has influenced the development of education in this country is the state of economy, which itself is influence by political factor. Efforts made by the government in the development of education have been based on the availability of funds and on the ordering of priorities for development. The discovery of oil in Nigeria in the 1960s has shifted the thrust of the
Nigeria economy from agricultural to petroleum. Before then Nigeria was the first world producer of groundnut and only second to Ghana in the production of cocoa. Farmers became rich from
coca, groundnut, palm oil and other agricultural products and were able to send their children to school in the spite of high cost of schooling. Government too was able to realize tax and other revenue from fairly well-do-do farmers to pursue the development of education.
In the meantime educated Nigeria’s manned the offices where these agricultural products were sorted out for export to oversea countries. They also worked in Government offices. Other educated
Nigeria’s engaged in trading which was predominated by illiterate men and women who shared the business with Lebanese and Indians. Many of these businessmen and women required little or
no education anyone who had been to school and knows how to read and write figures was employable as a clerk these trader.
These clerks were the beneficiaries of early school.
As early as 1472 the Portuguese, in search of commerce, had visited part of what is now known as Nigeria. In their search for commerce the Portuguese realized that they needed to communicate with the people in a common language and share a common faith with their customers; consequently, the Portuguese decided to introduce the Christian religion (the roman catholic faith) to their customers and to establish schools in which instruction would be carried out for the educated of their customers’ children in order to facilitate communication.
The Portuguese visited Benin and Lagos at the beginning of their religious and commercial activities By 1515 Catholic Missionary activities had started in Benin and a school had been established in the palace of Oba in Benin, for the son’s of both the Oba and his chief sat the same time the Portuguese established trading posts in Lagos and Benin .the trading post in Lagos assumed so such prominence that the Portuguese named Lagos after a similarly means important post in Portugal, post Lagos (Lagos “ in Portuguese language means “ Lagoon’’). The Portuguese also establish trading posts ,church and school at Brass and Warri .About a century after the inception of its activities in what is now Nigeria (1571) the Portuguese established a Seminary on the Island of Sao Theme off the coast of Nigeria. The purpose of this Seminary was to train Africans as priests and teacher to man the churches and schools that were being established. The priest and teacher produced at the Seminary visited Warri established more schools and preached the gospel.
The original commercial aim of the Portuguese was to trade spice from India; but they soon discovered that trading in human being
was more profitable than trading in other commodities .The slave trade went on for over three centuries along the coast of West Africa among other place and major participant in West Africa were the Portuguese, the French, the British the Dutch the Danes.
While the slave trade was going on it overshadowed the educational and religious activates of the Portuguese to the extent that the Roman Catholic influence had almost totally disappeared before the end of the slave trade.
When trade in human being came under fire in Europe in the late 18th century and early 19th century, the European slave trade began to reexamine their continued stay in west Africa should the slave trade come to an end .In preparation for such an eventuality explorers were sent out to trace4 the sources and course of the major river of west Africa. The thinking was that if the trade in slave stopped, it would no longer be possible to stay along the coast to trade; it would be necessary to go to the hinterland to explore the possibility of trade in order commodities nicknamed “legitimate ‘’ commodities .They thought that it would be necessary to become familiar with the interior of west Africa and their inhabitants and make friends with them.
River Nigeria is the main river that flows across most of west Africa .it was first explored by mango park at the end of the 18th century, followed by Clapper ton and the launder brother at the end of these explorations, the Europeans were reasonable sure of the source and course of the river Nigeria most of which lies within what is now know as Nigeria
In the last unit you learnt about the meaning of primary education the purpose of primary education ,the purpose of primary education during the missionary era, the purpose of primary school in the original government era, and the universal primary education .In this unity you will learn about the origin of primary school, first missionary Endeavour in establishment of primary school the second Endeavour, of the missionaries in establishment of primary schools , the educational practice of the missionaries and government involvement in primary education.
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unity, you should be able to:- explain the origin of primary school in Nigeria
- describe the first missionary endeavor in establishing primary school
- describe the second missionary endeavor in establishing primary school
- explain the educational practices of the missionaries
- describe government involvement in primary education
The Background to Educational system
Nigeria is a federation of thirty six state with area of 924,000 square kilometers (356,669 Square miles)and population of 140,3000000.Nigeria is thus the most populated country in Africa. This population is an important resource for national development; but human resources without training cannot be regarded as contribution to national development. Education is therefore very crucial to development as it help to develop the human resources for exploitation of natural resources.
Nigeria’s population is diversified .There are over 250 different cultural group with distinct linguistic characteristics. The largest among these are Hausa, Ibo, and Yoruba. Beside the cultural and linguistic differences, there are also religious differences. Islam and Christianity are the two religious of the people and both play major roles in the development and course of education in Nigeria. A third religion, the traditional religion of Nigeria before introduction of Christianity and Islam. Animation is still practiced by a good number of Nigerians. Although it is now the smallest of the three religious of Nigeria, it is nevertheless embedded in the culture of the people and its beliefs and practices are in the background of a substantial number of people and practices are in the background of a substantial number of people who have accepted and practice both the Christian and Islamic faiths.
Another factor that has influenced the development of education in this country is the state of economy, which itself is influence by political factor. Efforts made by the government in the development of education have been based on the availability of funds and on the ordering of priorities for development. The discovery of oil in Nigeria in the 1960s has shifted the thrust of the
Nigeria economy from agricultural to petroleum. Before then Nigeria was the first world producer of groundnut and only second to Ghana in the production of cocoa. Farmers became rich from
coca, groundnut, palm oil and other agricultural products and were able to send their children to school in the spite of high cost of schooling. Government too was able to realize tax and other revenue from fairly well-do-do farmers to pursue the development of education.
In the meantime educated Nigeria’s manned the offices where these agricultural products were sorted out for export to oversea countries. They also worked in Government offices. Other educated
Nigeria’s engaged in trading which was predominated by illiterate men and women who shared the business with Lebanese and Indians. Many of these businessmen and women required little or
no education anyone who had been to school and knows how to read and write figures was employable as a clerk these trader.
These clerks were the beneficiaries of early school.
First Missionary Activities
As early as 1472 the Portuguese, in search of commerce, had visited part of what is now known as Nigeria. In their search for commerce the Portuguese realized that they needed to communicate with the people in a common language and share a common faith with their customers; consequently, the Portuguese decided to introduce the Christian religion (the roman catholic faith) to their customers and to establish schools in which instruction would be carried out for the educated of their customers’ children in order to facilitate communication.
The Portuguese visited Benin and Lagos at the beginning of their religious and commercial activities By 1515 Catholic Missionary activities had started in Benin and a school had been established in the palace of Oba in Benin, for the son’s of both the Oba and his chief sat the same time the Portuguese established trading posts in Lagos and Benin .the trading post in Lagos assumed so such prominence that the Portuguese named Lagos after a similarly means important post in Portugal, post Lagos (Lagos “ in Portuguese language means “ Lagoon’’). The Portuguese also establish trading posts ,church and school at Brass and Warri .About a century after the inception of its activities in what is now Nigeria (1571) the Portuguese established a Seminary on the Island of Sao Theme off the coast of Nigeria. The purpose of this Seminary was to train Africans as priests and teacher to man the churches and schools that were being established. The priest and teacher produced at the Seminary visited Warri established more schools and preached the gospel.
The original commercial aim of the Portuguese was to trade spice from India; but they soon discovered that trading in human being
was more profitable than trading in other commodities .The slave trade went on for over three centuries along the coast of West Africa among other place and major participant in West Africa were the Portuguese, the French, the British the Dutch the Danes.
While the slave trade was going on it overshadowed the educational and religious activates of the Portuguese to the extent that the Roman Catholic influence had almost totally disappeared before the end of the slave trade.
When trade in human being came under fire in Europe in the late 18th century and early 19th century, the European slave trade began to reexamine their continued stay in west Africa should the slave trade come to an end .In preparation for such an eventuality explorers were sent out to trace4 the sources and course of the major river of west Africa. The thinking was that if the trade in slave stopped, it would no longer be possible to stay along the coast to trade; it would be necessary to go to the hinterland to explore the possibility of trade in order commodities nicknamed “legitimate ‘’ commodities .They thought that it would be necessary to become familiar with the interior of west Africa and their inhabitants and make friends with them.
River Nigeria is the main river that flows across most of west Africa .it was first explored by mango park at the end of the 18th century, followed by Clapper ton and the launder brother at the end of these explorations, the Europeans were reasonable sure of the source and course of the river Nigeria most of which lies within what is now know as Nigeria
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