contribution of missionaries to education in ghana11 Apr contribution of missionaries to education in ghana
Although the aim of the traders was to practice commerce These included the Baptist missionaries who under the American evangelist, Thomas Bowen, started work from Ogbomosho in 1855. Mission Statement 2 (1983): 116-143. Africa Christian Press, 1996. ]v#5%{,%Y{iKsZ|Cm7NismGmg_zxKYh?>bQ?ni8G.wx:qAm$ eb!^Kr$,.9Qq^|1. Henry Townsend who went from Sierra Leone to Badagry in 1842 in his company was the Rev Ajayi Crowther. In 1858 the Rev. Crampton, Edmund Patrick Thurman. It was only after the Second World War that the colonial governments started to show a real interest in the promotion of formal education in West Africa. The missionaries condemned African religion, music, art, festivals and customary practices. Clarke, Peter Bernard. 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. Moreover, the Islamic religion was also being introduced to the southern section of the country by Muslim immigrants from the north of the colony. Shaw, Mark. Agricultural school graduates did not compete with European industries or European farmers, as they mainly grew crops that could not be grown in European climates. 1 (1971): 103-115. They discovered that the holy book did not clearly prescribe monogamy, and contained several examples of renowned Christian polygamists. Furthermore, missionaries, believing in the civilizing mission, attempted to disintegrate traditional society through education by choosing academic subjects, such as the histories of the Western colonial powers, that illustrated the superiority of the Western culture, as well as by teaching about the superiority of the West in non-academic matters such as hygiene. The resulting atmosphere of disunity enabled the European colonialists to easily achieve their goal of economic exploitation. As happened in other West African countries, many more mission-sponsored hospitals were founded in the course of the twentieth century. All work is written to order. For the next decade, the Church grew in Ghana at an accelerated pace. Kalu, Ogbu. After more than 20 years at Pope John XXIII School, he returned to the United States and served as parochial vicar at Blessed Sacrament-Our Lady of the Divine Shepherd in Trenton, N.J., where he lived with Father Tetteh. The South African War is not covered in this grouping of letters. Their records from World War One show their distance from the war and yet that it did affect . The churches opened primary schools both in the capital and in the rural communities. First, I looked at how educational outcomes depended on the distance to historical missions. Among his pioneering achievements, he arranged for three youths to be sent to England for training as evangelists. In due course leprosariums and orphanages were built to supplement their medical services. Without denying that prior to the introduction of Christianity in West Africa the people had developed their own crafts, one must admit that it was Christian missionaries who introduced modern forms of crafts such as carpentry and masonry. A history of Christianity in Ghana. In December 1868 he went with his wife and child to Anum in the present-day Volta Region of Ghana. Bamgboye & Company Press, 1976. History of the church in Africa: a survey. While it has brought undoubted benefits, it has also harmed the traditional way of life. skills for his or her future role in the society (Hetherington, 1979; Davidoff, 1980; Aboagye, 1997). Origins, organization and effects in the development of West Africa, 3: Islam in West Africa. Barely ten years later, after the first missionaries arrived, the Methodists, for example, had started a station as far inland as MacCarthy Island. senior high school history Today, human sacrifice is generally frowned upon and considered an abomination. His viewing and wake service took place on Sept. 26 at the chapel in the Divine Word Residence at Techny. Being ignorant of ones history causes one to lose part of ones identity and pride in that identity, and one is therefore more vulnerable to attacks denouncing ones culture as inferior, especially if at the same time one is being taught the noble history of another culture. 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. Foremost in the contribution of the early Christian missionaries to the development of Ghana is their efforts to bring Western education to Ghanaians. Waterville Pub. It is possible to hear the tune of this missionary hymn. They therefore set about to achieve this through introduction of formal education among the Batswana people. They provided missionaries a way to spread Eurocentric norms and attract new converts. Founded in 1875 by St. Arnold Janssen, we number more than 6,000 missionaries. better grades Missionaries and the intellectual history of Africa: a historical survey. Itinerario 7, no. Andreas Riis, assisted by a team of West Indian evangelists, laid the foundations of the Basel Missionary Church in the country. ABWE is also at work in countries that restrict evangelism. Some of the missionaries came with them (549 years ago) but many died from the cruel tropical weather of forested West Africa. 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. While they frowned upon bridewealth, female genital cutting, or matrilineality, they held a special grudge against polygamy. (As at December 2020). The high temperatures coupled with high rainfall patterns in some parts of the country experienced during the daytime, made the missionaries stay indoors, which slowed down their activities. These missionary societies laid the foundations of the Roman Catholic Church in West Africa, which lasted through to the independence period when African clergy replaced the white pastors. This involved learning to read in the vernacular (Hadfield cited in Bone 1969:7). 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. In addition, the contributions of celebrity missionaries, such as Christian Schwartz, William Carey, Alexander Duff, and James . What would have happened if missionaries had not insisted on monogamy? Hope Waddell of the Church of Scotland had opened a school at Duke Town, Calabar. These pioneer mission schools met with a discouraging response. One of them, Philip Quaque, returned in 1765 as an ordained priest. For instance, the Basel Mission established the first teacher training college in Ghana. Lack of transport from the coast to the interior parts of West Africa was one of the major difficulties encountered by the missionaries. A History of West Africa, Cambridge University Press, 1969, Fynn , J. K and R. Addo-Fening History for Senior Secondary schools. We shall begin with the positive contribution of the Christian missionaries in Ghana. They did a lot to impact the social and economic lives of Africans. The original letters from abroad cover West Africa from 1899 to 1933. All rights reserved. Missionary, educator contributed to building independent Ghana. How to Get Involved in Church Missions: The Ultimate Guide, 16 Causes of Crime Essay (with Solutions), Justify the Title of the Novel Second Class Citizen, The Role of Ghana in the Formation of the OAU, Economic Developments in Ghana Before Independence, 11 Causes of the Rise of Nationalism in Africa, Importance of the Odwira Festival in Ghana. Amma Darko 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. We've received widespread press coverage since 2003, Your UKEssays purchase is secure and we're rated 4.4/5 on reviews.co.uk. Third, rivalry between the various Christian denominations also contributed to the poor standards of education. During the first half of the 19th century they targeted healthier places, with relatively lower malaria-risk, where European missionaries could survive and train local African missionaries and teachers (Jedwab et al. After a time the idea becomes ingrained -it is heathen and unchristian to be an African culturally (Awori cited in Berman 1974:536). Furthermore, mission schools discouraged traditional ways of life outside of the classroom. As we help existing churches become healthy through theological education, discipleship, pastoral training, and leadership development, we desire to see church-planting efforts within the local church soon follow. The missionary and colonial education aimed at character training and civilization resulted in cultural annihilation and religious, and linguistic hegemony. Hastings, Adrian. He also blogs at BloggingtotheMax.com. The reservation of high-level positions in the colonial administrations for Europeans and the corresponding mission education that provided education fit only for lower positions meant that the withdrawal of European rule could cause serious political instability in the newly independent colonies. The statistical evidence suggests that education would have spread more evenly. From simple essay plans, through to full dissertations, you can guarantee we have a service perfectly matched to your needs. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Indeed, most of our early nationalists were all products of mission schools. For instance, in Nigeria in 2006, approximately only 51.2% of primary school teachers of either gender were trained as teachers, and the enrolment rate in primary education for both genders in 2000 stood at about 62.7%, compared to 99.5% in Canada (UN Data 2010). In Fanteland, the Methodists and Roman Catholics pioneered similar works. In Nigeria, one of the lasting works of the C.M.S. 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. Economics The study examines the historical foundations of Western education in Meru and factors that influenced its development. Meanwhile, the Scottish missionary, Mary Slessor, had established a reputation in the Cross River area as a nurse. NUUT Co. Ltd. Kumasi, Ghana, 2011, Baarkinado. primarily purposed to outline the contributions of religion and education to national development in Ghana. Operating from Whydah in what is today the Peoples Republic of Benin (formerly Dahomey), Father Berghero, in 1860, visited Abeokuta and Lagos where freed Catholic slaves from Brazil welcomed him warmly. West Africa owes to the Christian missionaries not only a new religious faith which has changed the beliefs and life of millions of people, but also the foundation of western education. Their luggage and other necessities had to be carried on heads and took a long time before reaching the missionaries. In fact, the Christian missionaries encouraged Ghanaians to reject African names and choose Christian names instead. They relied very much on their home churches for their funds. opened, in Freetown, the first boys secondary school in the country and another for girls in 1849, later renamed the Annie Walsh Memorial School. Then share it on your favourite social media platform for the benefit of others you care about. Let's look in-depth into these scholarships. Yes! Similar developments were carried out by the missionaries in other Nigerian languages, Efik, Kanuri, Igbo, etc. With the arrival of more missions into the country came an explosion in mission schools across southern Ghana. A history of African Christianity 1950-1975. Thomas Thompson, arrived in Cape Coast in 1752. The early European Christian missionaries in West Africa experienced a number of difficulties, some arising from factors outside their control and others of their own making. But that increase was greater in monogamous societies. The CMS began to work in the freed slave villages in Sierra Leone in 1804 and the Methodist in 1811. Johannes Zimmermann wrote a grammar of the Ga language, and in 1874 the Rev. As a mission school graduate noted, local history was almost totally ignored. The missionary impact on education would have far-reaching consequences, as their creation of a weak basis of education would slow down the political and educational development of many former colonies in Africa. As a member of the Church of England, it interests me to see echoes of Christian educational efforts by organizations such as Compassion Canada in the educational efforts of the missionary branch of the Anglican Church, the Church Missionary Society, or CMS. Among several others, the native Bishop Ajayi Crowther produced the first translation of the Bible in Yoruba. Establishment of Christian Churches In Sierra Leone. Volunteers and donors to organizations such as Compassion Canada believe that they are being humanitarian when they build schools in Africa, volunteer as teachers or help in other ways to improve the quality of education in African nations, yet missionaries and colonial governments were similarly lauded as performing a great work of humanity (Beck 1966:117) and likewise believed that they were helping their African pupils. CUP Archive, 1979. The Christian missionaries have been credited with the discontinuation of some obnoxious traditional practices among Ghanaians. Although modern scientific research has confirmed the medicinal properties of these concoctions, traditional medical practice had several shortcomings. It started first among the Yoruba recaptives who had embraced the Christian faith while in Sierra Leone (freed from slave trading ships by the British Royal Naval Squadron), and who returned home between 1839 and 1845. The early success of the missionaries included areas like Freetown and surrounding villages. 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. The Portuguese were the first to introduce the Christian faith into West Africa but following their departure from the West Coast in the mid-seventeenth century, the Christian religion survived only in Upper Guinea where a bishop was maintained in the Cape Verde Islands serving also a part of the mainland. These trends occasionally brought kings into conflict with the missionaries and their converts. The constant tensions between traditionalists and Christian converts often erupted into all-out conflicts. He was followed, three years afterwards, by the Rev. Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Bremen, Research Center on Inequality and Social Policy (SOCIUM), Universitt Bremen. Lastly, the missionaries were not used to eating our local foods. Called the Iwe-Irohim, was published by the missionaries. His immigrant Irish-born parents instilled faith and a firm work ethic in their sons. It was not until the nineteenth century, that the new religion was really established in West Africa. Soon after, in 1835 they moved up to Akropong on the hills in Akuapem, where the pioneer missionary the Rev. Baker Pub Group, 1996. The missionaries seemed to have concentrated much of their effort on the production of export crops. In the British colonies, as elsewhere, religious missions were instrumental in introducing European-style education. quiz 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. After six years at St. Peters, Father Burke was named chaplain and professor of English literature at St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School in Osu, Ghana. These missions significantly influenced the systematic educational development in the Gold Coast. Ghana continued to call. Please read our privacy policy to find out more. New missionary societies (the LMS, the CMS, the Holy Ghost Fathers, the White Fathers, etc.) Through academic lessons and lessons on Western etiquette and hygiene, mission students were isolated from their traditional cultures, a traumatic experience that would continue to trouble many students for the rest of their lives. By 1914 there were barely thirty schools in that vast area. wassce literature questions. They worked to write the bible, dictionaries and textbooks in such Ghanaian Languages as Ewe, Fanti, Ga and Twi. Also the missionaries set up model farms where scientific agriculture was taught and new crops were introduced for the people, to go alongside longstanding indigenous production. Similar developments were carried out by the missionaries in other Nigerian languages, Efik, Kanuri, Igbo, etc. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist and Anglican missions all made a major contribution to education in Ghana and Africa as a whole. Support earthquake relief and outreach efforts, biblical foundation for the next generation of believers. However, the discovery of quinine and other curative medicines in the late 19th century made the history of the missionary work in West Africa a different thing altogether. Two other training colleges opened by the missionaries, in the early days, were the Wesley College in Kumasi (1922) and the Roman Catholic Training College at Amisano, near Elmina (1931) which in 1936 moved to the campus of the newly founded secondary school, St Augustines College at Cape Coast. By focusing on the African demand for education, I showed that Africans were not just passive recipients of mission schooling. These contradictions are surprisingly absent from contemporary research. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UKEssays.com. It is one of the oldest continuously published periodicals by and about Black people. Although there were many disagreements between European missionaries and African populations, antagonising polygamy is probably the best-documented norm conflict. The early Christian missions concentrated their activities not only on religious matters. History books tended to exaggerate in achievements of Europeans, making no reference to Africans own great past. Thank you! 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. While missionaries could sometimes clash with colonial governments, for the most part missions were important tools for colonial governments. Thomas Thompson, arrived in Cape Coast in 1752. The quest for an all-inclusive development model of Ghana and other developing nations, therefore, calls for an insight into the role and responsibilities of religion toward education. (with Examples), Top 20 Topics in English for Academic Purposes, 7 Rules of Referencing and Citation in Academic Writing, 10 Importance of Referencing and Citation in Academic Writing, How to Get a Degree Without Going to High School, Joseph Rhodes Dunwell Methodist Missionary, 1835, Thomas Birch Freeman Methodist Missionary, 1838, Thomas Thompson Society for the Propagation of the Gospel/Anglican, 1752, Wesley Girls High School, Cape Coast Methodist missionaries, Mfantsipim School, Cape Coast Methodist, Adisadel College, Cape Coast Anglican Missionaries, Holy Child School, Cape Coast Roman Catholic, St Augustines College, Cape Coast Roman Catholic, Archbishop Potter Girls School, Takoradi, Aburi Girls Secondary School Presbyterian, St Monicas High School, Mampong Anglican. However, accustomed to monogamy, few European missionaries were open to such arguments. Government & Politics As happened in other territories, the Christian missionaries did not confine their work to the spread of the gospel alone. ASSESS THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE CHRISTIAN MISSION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF GHANA. Amidst much honest missionary activity in the country for two centuries, prosperity gospel teachers have also gained influence, and numerous indigenous cults have arisen with distinct appeal and just enough truth to create confusion and syncretism. Christian missions also took a leading role in the campaign to end the slave trade and to suppress slavery. 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. 3 (2002): 555-584. Another important Catholic missionary in this area was the Irishman, Bishop Shanahan. 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). By 1885, the church had spread further inland, thanks to Father Joseph Lutz who started work around Onitsha in 1886 and spread the gospel in many parts of the present day Imo and Anambra States. self help The Ghana Education Decentralization Project (GEDP), launched in 2010 and ended in 2012, has increased the influence of local authorities over management . The First Missionaries were sent as a result of a request by Major de Richelieu, Governor of Christiansborg. Kuhne , his fellow captive and co-author joined him at the mission as a trader in cotton, an activity which was part of, and a means of, financing the mission. 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. In fact, most of the norms opposed by missionaries concerned gender relationships. The Journal of Negro Education (JNE), a scholarly refereed journal, was founded at Howard University in 1932. To put it differently, the motive was to gain acceptance in the sight of God so that after death they would be judged kindly by the heavenly father. Missionaries continued to be the main providers of education even after colonial powers established control during the so-called Scramble for Africa which occurred between 1884-1914. Call: +233558280780, Your email address will not be published. In 1880, two Roman Catholic priests of the Society of African Missions (S.M.A.
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