Vischer proposed a number of cardinal principles of education for the Northern protectorate

Hans Vischer was a British missionary worker who was later appointed administrative officer in Northern Nigeria in 1909. He was asked by the government to organize a system of education for the protectorate of Northern Nigeria. He made a study visit to Egypt, Sudan, Gold Coast and Southern Nigeria, and found the education in those places unsuitable models for Northern Nigeria.

Vischer proposed a number of cardinal principles of education for the Northern protectorate to: 

1. Develop the national and racial characteristics of the natives on such lines as will enable them to use their own moral and physical forces to the best advantage; 
2. Widen their mental horizon without destroying their respect for race and parentage; 
3. Supply men for employment in the government; 
4. Produce men who will be able to carry on the native administration in the spirit of the government; 
5. Impart sufficient knowledge of Western ideas to enable the native to meet the influx of teachers, and others from the coast with the advent of the railway, on equal terms; 
6.  Avoid encouraging the idea, readily formed by Africans, that it is more honourable to sit in an office than to earn a living by manual labour, introducing at the earliest opportunity, technical instruction side by side with purely classical training (Graham, 1966). 

Consequent upon the proposal the first government primary school was established in Kano (Nassarawa primary school) in 1909. The school was secular in nature and the Emirs contributed their financial quota for the running cost of the school.

In 1910 an education Department was established in the Northern protectorate. Dr. Visvher was appointed the first Director. The North enjoyed separate education Department until 1929. Consequently, the same year (1910) the Nassarawa school became the training institution for teachers who later took charge of the provincial schools set up at Sokoto. The Nassarawa school was later expanded into a comprehensive status covering primary, secondary and technical schools.

The political developments mentioned earlier (the indirect rule system) and the colonial government’s apparent non-interference with the religious traditions and native administration of the various provinces in the Northern protectorate, coupled with the forced indirect and irregular educational programmes, pursued by both the government and the Christian mission had the following implications:

1. The uneven distribution of Western type schools in the Northern and Southern protectorates, which later culminated in serious educational and socio-political disparities in Nigeria; 
2. Dual educational policies and system in the North between the government and Muslim native authorities in the North, and between the government and the mission in the South. 

By 1913, there were 29 mission schools with an involvement of 504 pupils. The number of government and native administration schools was 5, with a total population of 350 pupils.

Indication in the North, under the dual system of education administration control, educational funding was a joint efforts. For instance, in 1913m the total sum of £6,118 was spent. Out of the above sum £2,768 was provided from the public fund (Nduka, 1975).

The government and native administration primary schools rose to 68 in 1926 with a total of 2,207 pupils. The voluntary agencies (unassisted) schools rose to 56 with over 3,000 pupils. By the same year (1926) there was only one teacher training school in the North, at Nassarawa, with 55 trainee teachers. All were male. There was no single secondary school in the whole of the Northern Nigeria up to 1929, where as, in the Southern protectorate then there were 27 secondary schools with the first, been established in 1859-C.M.S. Grammar school, Lagos. These secondary schools, with the exemption of Kings College Lagos (1909) and Government College-Umuahia (1929) and Ibadan (1929) were owned by the various missionary organizations.

Exercise 4: 

• What is the current statistical distribution of primary and secondary schools between the Northern and Southern Nigeria? 

CONCLUSION

The political, religious and social system firmly established in the Northern Nigeria before the arrival of the Christian missionary education made it difficult for the North to accept the education early enough. Efforts made by the various missionary organizations and the colonial administration failed to yield fruits in this regard. This unit examined the three basic factors that hindered the early efforts of the missions and the colonial government in establishing schools in the Northern protectorate. It also discussed the extra efforts the government and the religions organizations made to persuade the people to shift ground for western education.

SUMMARY

In this unit we have learnt that:

• There were three basic factors that hindered the early introduction of Western-type education in the Northern Nigeria: Geographical, political and Religious factors; 
• The British colonial masters did not want to use force on the Northern people, rather it devised diplomatic administrative measures to rule the people; 
• There were other individuals whose principles and contributions assisted in the development of education in the North (Lord Lugard, Dr. Miller and Hans Vischer).