contribution of missionaries to education in ghanaspring baking championship jordan
ABWE first began work in Ghana with a goal to reach unchurched Ghanaians in the Volta Region with the gospel and then to expand evangelism efforts to other parts of the country. Another reason why the Europeans came to spread the Christian religion in Ghana was to pave their own way into eternal glory. 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. Father Tetteh also took note of Father Burkes humility and devotion to his students. The Journal of Negro Education, 8 8 The Effect of Western Formal Ekechi, Felix K. Colonialism and Christianity in West Africa: The Igbo Case, 19001915. The Journal of African History 12, no. In short, the impact of teaching in the vernacular was more negative than positive, as it reinforced colonial rule and no doubt did very little to preserve native cultural identities, seeing as missionaries promoted European languages as superior and only used the vernacular because conversion and religious instruction were such high priorities. He also blogs at BloggingtotheMax.com. Later that year, in recognition of his service to the Ghanaian people, President John Dramani Mahama bestowed the honor of Officer of the Order of Volta upon him. The agricultural schools the missions ran would have been even more advantageous to the colonial governments considering the discouragement of local industries that might have competed with the motherland. The others included the Christian responsibility for the regeneration of African peoples. Thomas Birch Freeman, son of a London-based West Indian father and an English mother. They impressed it upon their converts not to have anything to do with these traditional practices. Therefore, whether through their rigid educational polices or lack thereof, colonial governments contributed to the poor education, though there is no denying that missionaries also contributed to the quality of education to a great extent. After an unsuccessful beginning by the society of African Missions (SMA), this missionary body moved into other territories in what is now Liberia, Ghana and Nigeria. Following ordination, he was sent to Washington, D.C., and the Catholic University of America, where he earned a masters degree in English literature. Metadata. An Alumnus of the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, a Journalist, Author and a Philanthropist. The Methodists, known as the Wesleyan Missionaries (after their founder), arrived in Freetown in 1811. essay writing Our academic experts are ready and waiting to assist with any writing project you may have. 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. Longman Publishing Group, 1980. Educational Reforms in Ghana: Past and Present - ResearchGate The Roman Catholic Sisters provided medical care in the Upper and Northern Regions of the country before the government started to provide hospitals and clinics in the regional and district headquarters. It was however in the coastal territories filled with mulattos and other European trading communities that Christianity won some of its early success. 2023 Society of the Divine Word. 11 Missionary College Scholarships You Can Apply For Many missionaries died because of the climate and tropical disease. I have used my expertise to design and implement strategies for major projects including new programme development, global proposals, book launches, international talks, lectures, and executive . A short history of education in British West Africa. This chapter traces the origins and long-term development of African mass education in colonial sub-Saharan Africa. 503 0 obj <> endobj This post may contain affiliate links. homework help However the superficial motivations and ideologies have changed, at the most basic level both contemporary Northern charities and nineteenth century missionaries share the belief that the North must come and save the suffering natives, which in the case of the missionaries, has been proven to have inflicted more harm than provided relief. Because of rivalry, instead of building one common, multi-denominational school in a village that really only needed the one school, missionaries each built a school for their particular denomination and competed for students (Berman 1974:533). 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In Fanteland, the Methodists and Roman Catholics pioneered similar works. The original letters from abroad cover West Africa from 1899 to 1933. They include Sierra Leone 1900-1933; Ghana 1903; Cape Verde 1904-1910; and St Vincent 1907-1912. Just look at the lyrics of this evangelizing song written in 1819 by Reginald Heber, a prolific English hymnist in the Anglican church. While the Evangelical Presbyterian missionaries were the First to develop literature in Ewe, the Roman Catholics were responsible for Nzima literature. The Christian religion teaches the doctrine of one supreme God and is opposed to the worship of any other forms of deity. Who is Mrs. Konrad in Second Class Citizen? Other difficulties they faced were the problems of the many languages and dialects and their ignorance of the true meaning of the various cultures, beliefs, values and ways of life of the people whom they set out to convert to Christianity. DISCLOSURE. Establishment of Christian Churches In The Gambia. All rights reserved. Longman Nigeria Plc., 1994, Boahen, A.A. et al Tropics in West Africa History. The vast majority of the people of The Gambia are Moslems; but a sizeable percentage of the population, especially in and around the capital Banjul, are Christians. Before 1925, there were only three secondary schools and three teacher training colleges in Ghana. Efforts to change these norms were often aimed at women. As a predominantly Roman Catholic country, France encouraged Roman Catholic missionaries right from the start of her colonial activities in West Africa. In traditionally monogamous societies, primary school completion increased by about eight percent, but only four percent in polygamous societies. The city of Akuropong capital of the Akan state of Akuapem in Ghana, has known the Christian presence during the last 186 years, initially centered on the Basel Mission, then on the Free Church of Scotland, and now on the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. These included the Baptist missionaries who under the American evangelist, Thomas Bowen, started work from Ogbomosho in 1855. The others include the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1804, which was tasked with the responsibility of promoting the translation and printing of the Holy Bible. The pastors of the Church Missionary Society, from Badagry and later from Sierra Leone, visited these Christian communities in Abeokuta and other towns. Their converts, for many years, were confined to the people of southern Nigerian extraction resident in the north, and to the-large non-Muslim population of the north. Being ignorant of the significance of certain institutions and practices of the people of West Africa, and occasionally being misled by their over-zealous followings into wrongly interpreting the peoples heritage, the missionaries compelled pupils in their schools and docile adult converts to shun their own ancestral practices. This instruction in 1948 developed into the University College in Ibadan. In spite of all this, with the advent of the First World War in 1914 in the Kwaku District there were 21 congregations with a total of over 2500 members. Following agitation by the people in 1934, the government opened the old Yaba Higher College and Medical School, which awarded diplomas acceptable only locally. 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. They were to spread the message of the Gospel, render social services to the people and to assist in the suppression of slavery and the slave trade. This was a bitter pill for the Basel Mission to swallow after 19 years of devoted service in the mission field in the Gold Coast but they were not dismayed when they considered that in education and agriculture and artisan training and in the development of commerce, and medical services and concern for social welfare of the people, the name Basel by the time of expulsion of the mission from the country, had become a treasured word in the minds of the people. This is the famous Presbyterian Teacher Training College founded in 1848 at Akropong-Akwapim. Their converts increased steadily in numbers until 1821 when a section broke away to form the first independent African, Christian church in West Africa, called the West Africa Methodist Church. They were replaced in Sierra Leone by the Holy Ghost Fathers in 1864, who made converts in large numbers not only among the pagans but also among the members of the then competing Christian churches. This made it difficult for the early missionaries to stay in the country for long. The missionaries condemned African religion, music, art, festivals and customary practices. Origins, organization and effects in the development of West Africa, 3: Islam in West Africa. 2: Trans-Saharan Trade. The resulting atmosphere of disunity enabled the European colonialists to easily achieve their goal of economic exploitation. Above, we have described the role that trading companies, missionaries, and the government played for the spread of Western education in the coastal areas from the late sixteenth century onwards. Hildebrandt, Jonathan. Andreas Riis, assisted by a team of West Indian evangelists, laid the foundations of the Basel Missionary Church in the country. More women than men attend church, and the more strict churchgoers tend to be wealthier and of higher social status than less churchgoers or non-Presbyterians. So why did the European missionaries come to Ghana and other parts of Africa? T. Nelson. They worked tirelessly to lay a foundation for formal education The European missionaries established elementary and second-cycle institutions in the country. Among several others, the native Bishop Ajayi Crowther produced the first translation of the Bible in Yoruba. Over time and with the dedication of teachers like Father Burke, the school rose to prominence. For instance, the Basel Mission established the first teacher training college in Ghana. The early success of the missionaries included areas like Freetown and surrounding villages. In 1858 the Rev. In 1876 the college became associated with Durham University in England, which awarded degrees to students of the college. The positive contribution of Christian missionaries in Ghana can be felt in such areas as education, local language development, stoppage of outmoded cultural practices, agriculture and commerce. However, attending mission schools also meant exposure to colonial indoctrination. Mr. Henry Kwadwo Amoako is a Ghanaian Social Scientist, Researcher and Acclaimed Historian for over two decades. Hope Waddell of the Church of Scotland had opened a school at Duke Town, Calabar. PDF Religion Education and Development in Ghana - EA Journals Father Burke was preceded in death by his parents and his brother John. Soon after the start of elementary schools, the missionaries started opening higher institutions also. The statistical evidence suggests that education would have spread more evenly. Despite their significant contributions to education, local language development, agriculture and the economy as a whole, the missionaries have been criticized severally. This finding was supported by two types of analysis. Discipleship and leadership development are needed in order to support local churches and their growth in Ghana. Foremost in the contribution of the early Christian missionaries to the development of Ghana is their efforts to bring Western education to Ghanaians. 1 (1971): 103-115. The Basel and Methodist Missions, for example, introduced scientific agriculture in Ghana. Government & Politics Thomas Thompson, arrived in Cape Coast in 1752. The CMS began to work in the freed slave villages in Sierra Leone in 1804 and the Methodist in 1811. Prior to advent of the Christian missionaries and indeed well into the pre-independence period, most sick people depended for cure upon concoction herbs and roots and barks of trees. Brief History - PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF GHANA In 1950 Albert Academy was founded in Freetown; for-a long lime it was the secondary school in the Colony serving largely children from the provinces, among them were the future heads of state, Sir Milton Margai and Dr. Siaka Stevens. The story of the planting of Christianity in Nigeria would be incomplete without a mention of the Italian Roman Catholic priest, Father Berghero. Catholic Higher Education and Mission in Nigeria: The Contributions of 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. Among his pioneering achievements, he arranged for three youths to be sent to England for training as evangelists. The school, which was established the year of independence in 1957, was a work in progress. Furthermore, they were skilled farmers that could grow cash crops to be consumed back in the mother country, such as cocoa from Ghana (Foster 1965: 153). It offered the most direct path towards prestigious jobs in colonial administrations and European enterprises. Some of the missionaries came with them (549 years ago) but many died from the cruel tropical weather of forested West Africa. 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. Reiterating what teacher education must encapsulate, Adegoke (2003) and Benneh (2006) indi-cated that the mission of Ghana's teacher education is to pro- It is important for several reasons. At the end of the eighteenth century, the Evangelical Revival began to bring to Africa an influx of missionaries whose laoburs would produce the first fruits of an enduring Christian presence in Sub-Sahara Africa. Debrunner, Hans Werner. non-slave trade), Christianity, Civilization and Colonization. The Journal of Negro Education (JNE), a scholarly refereed journal, was founded at Howard University in 1932. The Journal of Negro Education, 2019 In this chapter, we shall examine how Christianity and Western-style education influenced West Africans values, attitudes and life-styles. personal development By 1914 there were barely thirty schools in that vast area. Debate Speech: Religion Has Failed Society, A Speech Outlining the Achievements and Problems of Your School, 7 Factors Accounting for the Shortage of Capital In West Africa, The Resurrection of Jesus According to Marks Gospel. His work, however, did not extend much beyond Cape Coast and the neighbouring area. This conditioning was focused on norms that missionaries deemed incompatible with a Christian way of life. In the case of Ghana, like other nations, the impact . 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. Often drumming and the harmless songs and dances of the people were condemned. In line with this, formal education in Ghana was started by the western traders and the missionaries by the 15th century through the 18th century respectively. Within ten years of Father Bergheros visit, the Roman Catholic Church in Nigeria had become so well established that it ceased to be under administration from Dahomey. In 1880, two Roman Catholic priests of the Society of African Missions (S.M.A. %PDF-1.7 % 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. As happened in other colonial territories, the government did not show great interest in the provision of education in Ghana until the missionaries had extended their services throughout the country and had set up primary schools and a few secondary schools and training colleges. Longman Group Ltd. London and Basingstoke, 1986, Fage, J.D. As happened in other West African countries, many more mission-sponsored hospitals were founded in the course of the twentieth century. university courses Although most people are Presbyterians, they can also go to spirit and other cults, mostly Christian and Pentecostal movements, to find cures for disease and lack of success in this world. The Wesleyan and Basel missionaries established schools in Cape Coast, Accra . 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). Series CLS. They discovered that the holy book did not clearly prescribe monogamy, and contained several examples of renowned Christian polygamists. Properly meant by Anglo-Saxon standards. "Big things have small beginnings"; so is The Presbyterian Church of Ghana. They even considered traditional drumming and African clothing as practices that were not worthy in the sight of the Lord. The Methodists founded Mfantsipim (1876) for boys and Wesley Girls High School (1884). In the days of Portuguese contacts with Nigeria, Catholic priests had established missionary stations in Benin and the neighbourhood. 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. His request to the Danish Crown for missionaries was forwarded to . Their greatest legacy in the field of education was the foundation which the Methodist laid for what is today the Gambia High school. Help those suffering in Turkey and Syria. Vol. However, accustomed to monogamy, few European missionaries were open to such arguments. Last, missionaries provided a very poor education, causing their students to be ill-equipped for social or material success, as they believed education to simply be a means for proselytization, were unqualified teachers, and allowed inter-denominational rivalries to interfere. Third, rivalry between the various Christian denominations also contributed to the poor standards of education. All the three secondary schools in Cape Coast were mission institutions. The Journal of Negro Education (JNE), a refereed scholarly periodical, was founded at Howard University in 1932 to fill the need for a scholarly journal that would identify and define the problems that characterized the education of Black people in the United States and elsewhere, provide a forum for analysis and solutions, and serve as a vehicle for sharing statistics and research on a national basis. About us | Ghana Education Service - GES Success followed the efforts of the pioneer missionaries. House, 1967. Aligning Your Teaching Philosophy with Your Institution's Mission The European missionaries engaged in trading and other commercial activities as well. 1991. The mission schools trained Africans to be able to work as translators, messengers and office clerks for the colonial government. James Fieldhouse, produced a Wolof Grammar in 1876. 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. These missions significantly influenced the systematic educational development in the Gold Coast. A large body of studies show that missionaries had a lasting impact beyond their early years. The tropical climatic condition in the country was not favourable to the early missionaries who came to the shores of West Africa. In fact in 1966, Father Burke led students to a victory in a national educational contest called the Ghana TV Cup. In Ghana, for instance, they persuaded their converts to reject polygamy and human sacrifice. Prior to the advent of western education, Ghana's traditional social structures had inbuilt opportunities for mobility. Mission schools were popular because of the new skills and opportunities they offered. Hugh Goldie and William Anderson. Missionaries were no doubt also aware that Africans came to associate European technological achievement with Western education (Bassey 1991:45) and therefore offered Western education as a means to attract Africans of this belief and then convert them. The lead was followed by other missionaries, notably the Roman Catholic, whose first higher institution was St Edwards Secondary School in Freetown. For instance, in the Salisbury region of Rhodesia, it was reported in 1924 that no male teachers had educational qualifications (Bone 1969:28). It was not until 1909 that the government opened a teacher training college and a technical school in Accra. Here you can choose which regional hub you wish to view, providing you with the most relevant information we have for your specific region. Contribution of Christian Missionaries in Ghana - Cegast Academy Two important private schools with strong Christian influence must also be mentioned: Accra High School, founded in 1923 and Accra Academy, established in Furthermore, mission schools discouraged traditional ways of life outside of the classroom. Johann Christaller produced a similar work in Twi. The Committee for Women's Work was responsible for the education of native girls. missionaries was the development of literature in Yoruba. Lets now take a closer look at both the positive and negative impacts of the activities of the Christian missionaries in Ghana and the rest of Africa. In conclusion, the converts tended to look down upon many things in their ancestral culture. He moved to Techny in 2016. Many Ghanaian communities got divided along religious lines. Another important Catholic missionary in this area was the Irishman, Bishop Shanahan. I well remember when he came to live with me in Trenton. Meanwhile, the Scottish missionary, Mary Slessor, had established a reputation in the Cross River area as a nurse. The Basel Mission. Ghana in Records from Colonial Missionaries, 1886-1951 In the later 19th century, the immense African interior remained the principal object of the Catholic Priests, and from 1867 until his death in November 1892 Cardinal Lavigerie planned the planting of churches in Africa South of the Sahara. The next major Christian missionaries to go out to Sierra Leone were the Roman Catholics. Kalu, Ogbu. First, I looked at how educational outcomes depended on the distance to historical missions. Soon after, in 1835 they moved up to Akropong on the hills in Akuapem, where the pioneer missionary the Rev. Their luggage and other necessities had to be carried on heads and took a long time before reaching the missionaries. Henry Townsend who went from Sierra Leone to Badagry in 1842 in his company was the Rev Ajayi Crowther. The work of the missionaries also had little success initially. The Methodist Church Ghana came into existence as a result of the missionary activities of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, inaugurated with the arrival of Joseph Rhodes Dunwell to the Gold Coast (Ghana) in 1835.Like the mother church, the Methodist Church in Ghana was established by people of Anglican background. (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. From simple essay plans, through to full dissertations, you can guarantee we have a service perfectly matched to your needs. The missionaries also greatly improved the health services. The Missionary Factor in Ghana's Development, pp.11 &135 categorically asserted that economic and social changes were brought about by the total effect of the various projects initiated by the. Another important German missionary was Wilhelm Johannson, better known by the English version of his name, William Johnson, who is revered in the history of the CMS in West Africa. Sign in to view the collection. Predominantly Muslim territory, the North received western education later than the South.
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contribution of missionaries to education in ghana
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