skills for his or her future role in the society (Hetherington, 1979; Davidoff, 1980; Aboagye, 1997). Hildebrandt, Jonathan. better grades Their records from World War One show their distance from the war and yet that it did affect their decisions. The problems created by the white missionaries themselves arose largely from a misconception of what Africa represented. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Father Burke was preceded in death by his parents and his brother John. In addition to studying the impact of these struggles on education, we also need to understand how they influenced gender inequality. Their records from World War One show their distance from the war and yet that it did affect . As long as the Africans could read the Bible, the missionaries were satisfied that they had had enough academic education. He moved to Techny in 2016. The governor had observed the bad moral life of the Europeans in the fort. By the close of the nineteenth century the major Christian missionary churches had opened elementary schools in many part of southern Nigeria with an enrolment of about 74,000 by the First World War. 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). That missionaries used the vernacular illustrates the fact that missionaries were principally evangelists, and that they considered their other roles, including their role as educators, as less important. Their educational activities helped spread literacy and vocational skills training among Ghanaians. The contribution of the missionaries to the development of Setswana as The missions agricultural schools were especially beneficial for colonial governments considering that governments believed that manual labour was a means to prevent discontent and unrest in the tribes (Hansen 1984:232). Among other missionary hospitals of long standing and reputation are those run by the Methodists at Wenkyi in the Brong-Ahafo Region, and by the Seventh Day Adventists at Kwahu Atibie in the Eastern Region. In short, it was a very successful mission in making us little black Anglo-Saxon Protestants. 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. Called the Iwe-Irohim, was published by the missionaries. T. Nelson. Moreover, the Islamic religion was also being introduced to the southern section of the country by Muslim immigrants from the north of the colony. Within ten years the C.M.S had opened twelve more schools in what is today Cross Rivers State. These contradictions are surprisingly absent from contemporary research. 2 Longman Group Ltd. London 1974, Ampadu B.K Notes on History of Ghana for Senior High Schools. In the 19thh century, too, Afro-Brazilians returned to Benin and Nigeria with Catholicism. In 1858 ten years after the founding of the first college, the Presbyterians opened a sister college at Aburi for the training of women teachers. Besides being an online tutor, Ralph is an author and expert digital marketer with proven skills in SEO content writing. 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. In 1902 the Methodists opened a clinic at Igbo-Ora. This made it difficult for the early missionaries to stay in the country for long. essay writing Even if secondary education was provided, it was often reserved for the sons of local chiefs (Oliver 1952:212; Beck 1966: 120), an elite the colonial government could then call upon to help rule the colony, a common practice in colonial Africa. A tiny act of kindness is remembered by a young man in need. 2023 Society of the Divine Word. Sign in to view the collection. Again, the Wesleyan missionaries established Mfantsipim School in Cape Coast in 1876. Lewis, Donald M., ed. In addition, the contributions of celebrity missionaries, such as Christian Schwartz, William Carey, Alexander Duff, and James . One Liberian student recalls that we were taught to dress properly, to eat properly, to speak properly. The practice of inflicting multiple wounds on the bodies of so-called spirit babies now belongs to history. The original Yaba College in Lagos has grown into a polytechnic. Hilliard, F.H., 1957. Mission schools were popular because of the new skills and opportunities they offered. Therefore the period for the rise of Christianizing Missions in the late Nineteenth Century has been considered as reprise. These commercial activities, therefore, made an important contribution to the economic development of Ghana. Series CLS. Thank you for supporting this project. Kalu, Ogbu. cited in Miran 2002:128). It was not until the nineteenth century, that the new religion was really established in West Africa. The Methodists founded the Boys High School in 1874, and another high school for girls six years later. self help The Basel and Methodist Missions, for example, introduced scientific agriculture in Ghana. Born in Cambridge, Mass., in 1933, Vincent Burke was the third of Walter and Eleanor (nee McGoff) Burkes four sons. 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. They relied very much on their home churches for their funds. The government gave grants according to the strength of the staff and the efficiency of the school judged by inspection reports and the results of public examinations. We shall begin with the positive contribution of the Christian missionaries in Ghana. The people received the message with indifference. 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. Brief History. EVANGELICAL MOVEMENTS AND MISSIONARY SOCIETIES IN THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 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. Missionary, educator contributed to building independent Ghana Some observers have argued that the Europeans used the Christian bible to justify the practice of slavery and the slave trade. Wm. Christianity in Ghana - Wikipedia The missionary and colonial education aimed at character training and civilization resulted in cultural annihilation and religious, and linguistic hegemony. 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. About us | Ghana Education Service - GES mock tests In conclusion, the educational enterprise of the Christian missionaries in the British and Italian colonies of Africa during the mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries was primarily negative for the African pupils. hb```,,g@( B(Pi xD r[e}v'$ImK *e()dP#jjTNl=VtN(%!30p0040tt0B GGc2m2@M``a$]x2\YkvIaB1b`h6f` (eAKPU d Andrew Jackson Foster (1925-1987) was an American pioneer of deaf education in several countries in Africa. Roman Catholic and Anglican missionaries came to the Gold Coast from the 15th century. In Ghana the Presbyterians were pioneers in reducing Ga and Twi into writing. History "Big things have small beginnings"; so is The Presbyterian Church of Ghana. Another important missionary doctor was J. R. Stephen who for many years headed a missionary hospital at Ilesha. However, attending mission schools also meant exposure to colonial indoctrination. But with the abolition of slavery, the introduction of cocoa, and the Churchs efficient school system, she gradually became the Church of the social elite. In 1989-90, the government banned the activities of several religious organizations, including the Church. It would be wrong, however, to blame all these ills on the Christian missionaries alone. In 1981, Father Burke was promoted to headmaster and rector of Pope John XXIII Secondary School and Minor Seminary in Koforidua. Father Jean Marie Coquard, operating in and from Abeokuta for forty years, was renowned among the Egba as a priest and surgeon in the second half of the nineteenth century. 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. The Basel Mission, as a result of this phenomenal expansion trained many local personnel to man the new stations. Clarke, Peter Bernard. Joseph Dunwell. Before we examine the contribution of Christian missionaries in Ghana, we need to identify the missionaries that came to Ghana. However, by the turn of the Nineteenth Century there was systematic efforts by churches of Christian Europe, namely: Anglicans, Methodists, and Baptists who were active in Sierra Leone and, with Presbyterians, in Nigeria, while Methodists also set up missions in Ghana, Gambia, and Dahomey. In 1859, the first newspaper in Yoruba. Also, Christian missionaries in Ghana were as zealous as their counterparts in Nigeria in pioneering medical services. The evangelical societies founded in the Americas included the Baptist Missionary Board and the Nova Scotian Methodists, whose members went to work among the Maroons, who had settled mainly in Liberia. Preventive medicine was hardly known; the result was that epidemics of different kinds were frequent. However, accustomed to monogamy, few European missionaries were open to such arguments. 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. Then share it on your favourite social media platform for the benefit of others you care about. The statistical evidence suggests that education would have spread more evenly. B. et al. History books tended to exaggerate in achievements of Europeans, making no reference to Africans own great past. Introduction, spread and effects, 6: Christian Missionary Activities in West Africa, 7: Scramble for and Partition of West Africa, 9: Problems of Independent West African States, 10: West Africa and International Organizations, 11: Women and Authority in West African History, 12: The Environment in West African History. History of the church in Africa: a survey. Samuel Adu-Gyamfi And Benjamin Kye Ampadu, Ajayi, J..F.A and Michael Crowder History of West Africa. Education (2002), the latest committee to work on education reforms in Ghana, recommended a critical review and approach to making teacher education relevant to the devel-opment of the country. And yet the Asafo provided most of the services which a community needed: protection against military attacks, communal services, etc. Many Ghanaian communities got divided along religious lines. Cultural deprivation is what many of us suffer from []. English comprehension primarily purposed to outline the contributions of religion and education to national development in Ghana. The early Christian missions concentrated their activities not only on religious matters. 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. So why did the European missionaries come to Ghana and other parts of Africa? The common response among traditionally polygamous people is well illustrated by a passage in Jomo Kenyattas famous book on the Gikuyu in colonial Kenya: This [the insistence on monogamy] caused a great confusion, for the African could not understand how he could drive away his wives and children, especially in a community where motherhood is looked upon as a religious duty; the children are regarded as part and parcel, not only of the father, but of the whole clan (mbari), and without them the mbari is lost. Although there were many disagreements between European missionaries and African populations, antagonising polygamy is probably the best-documented norm conflict. hR]0+^$%K{_"/HevgV+bH6L %)`\ #\E*63Z_TsxlRZj:[/\IL-1b-i Given their priorities, it should thus come as little surprise that missions often provided poor education to the African pupils. 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. Prominent among the early Christian missionaries to come to the Gold Coast (Ghana) were the Roman Catholic, Methodist, Basel, Bremen and Anglican missions. 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. Find below a list of mission schools that still exist in Ghana today. Aligning Your Teaching Philosophy with Your Institution's Mission wassce literature questions. Disclaimer: This is an example of a student written essay.Click here for sample essays written by our professional writers. Box 6000, Techny, IL 60082-6000. In Ghana, missions strategically weighted costs and benefits when choosing where to establish their churches and schools. 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. Public money was spent only on the small number of government schools, totaling nineteen when Governor Guggisberg assumed office in 1919. However, with time, they brought some crops, which they cultivated and which sustained them. An Alumnus of the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, a Journalist, Author and a Philanthropist. 4; img 109. What are the contribution of the missionaries? - Alqatirat Was this information useful? Apart from giving to the converts a new religious faith which they consider is superior to the traditional religions, the Christian missionaries did pioneering work in introducing new crafts, industries, Western education and modern health services. He introduced the Methodist Church in Asante in 1839, and won the support of the Asante king, Otumfour Nana Kweku Duah I who reigned between 25th August 1834 to 27th April 1867). Thus by training Africans to fill only the lower levels of the colonial administration and providing skilled workers from the vocational and agricultural schools who contributed to the economy and were less likely to question colonial rule than more educated Africans, mission schools helped to strengthen colonial rule. 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. Their economic activities went beyond the development of agriculture. They constitute the benefits that the missionaries brought to Africa as a whole. The Presbyterians, also, opened hospitals in several parts of the country, including the one at Agogo in Asante-Akyem. Governments are also not free from blame even if they had a laissez-faire educational policy, as in Ghana, where until 1944 the registration of schools was not required and no attempt was made to exert detailed control even over the activities of grant-aided [by the government] institutions except for a series of minimal registrations (Foster 1965:114). Thus as early as 1823, the Roman Catholic Sisters started a clinic for the sick and for children in Banjul. This chapter traces the origins and long-term development of African mass education in colonial sub-Saharan Africa. 1 (1971): 103-115. Cookies are small, safe and secure text files that sit on your computer which we use to give you a better experience on our site and help us improve the service that we provide to you. For instance, in Nigeria, one of the first groups of missionaries to introduce organised medical services were the Roman Catholics. Another important Catholic missionary in this area was the Irishman, Bishop Shanahan. The Akim area had about 3400 converts over 32 villages and there were about 900 children distributed in 27 Schools. The effects of work done by Bishop Ajayi Crowther, assisted by the Igbo recaptive the Rev. senior high school crs In 1880, two Roman Catholic priests of the Society of African Missions (S.M.A. The first missionaries to come to Ghana were the Roman Catholic missionaries in the 15th century and the Anglican missionaries. Indeed, the quality of the education could be so poor that the colonial governments complained, as in the case of the Nigerian government, which complained that the secondary school graduates provided by the missions were illiterate and ignorant and therefore poorly suited to fill the lower levels of the administration (Ayandele 1966:294-5). Role of Missionaries in Colonial African Education - UKEssays.com Debrunner, Hans Werner. In addition, while missionaries did run many academic primary schools, they provided little secondary education, a practice which prevented natives from becoming too educated (Ayandele 1966:286) and potentially subversive. Ayandele (1966:283), writing in the 1960s, says, By their [the missions] efforts the main languages of Nigeria have been preserved as a lasting legacy to the Ibo, Yoruba, Efik, Nupe and Hausa. However, this practice was in fact probably more due to stereotypes of African ignorance than an interest in being culturally respectful: missionaries may have believed that it would take too long to teach a superior European language to the unintelligent natives when the natives souls were in such desperate need of saving. others adopted a system of education varied from one and the other hence, lacking consistency in the educational sector [3]. This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. Some earlier scholarship on mission education has taken this as a positive impact of the missionaries. 'In view of this idea, Mmofraturo, the first girls boarding school in Ashanti was officially . Their activities had both positive and negative effects on Ghanaian society. Call: +233558280780, Your email address will not be published. Its general scope extends to both Roman Catholic as well as Protestant missionaries in relation to education works. Evans Brothers, Ltd. London. The Wesleyan and Basel missionaries established schools in Cape Coast, Accra . The pastors of the Church Missionary Society, from Badagry and later from Sierra Leone, visited these Christian communities in Abeokuta and other towns. In this essay on the impact of Christian missionary activities on Ghanaian society, we shall examine the role of the missionaries in the development of Ghana and the rest of Africa. In Nigeria, one of the lasting works of the C.M.S. The European Christian missions preached the Gospel, built churches, and seminaries translated the Bible to Ghanaian Languages such as Ewe, Ga, and Twi. To their minds, Africans were too backward and needed help to become more civilized. In Fanteland, the Methodists and Roman Catholics pioneered similar works. Thus, despite what the images of suffering African children on websites such as that of Compassion Canada might lead one to believe, it is time for Africans to educate their own, without any interference. Isichei, Elizabeth. English for life To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below: If you are the original writer of this essay and no longer wish to have your work published on UKEssays.com then please: Our academic writing and marking services can help you! Amma Darko In 1892, the Church Missionary Society opened the Iyi Enu Hospital in Onitsha which is today a leading hospital in Anambra state. Moreover, mission education formed a poor foundation for future educational conditions in the former colonies. The copies of letters received, 1890-1927, mention the plan from 1914 to gain control of future Ashanti Chiefs using education. ), Father Auguste Moreau and Father Eugene Murat, arrived at Elmina and revived the Roman Catholic Church in Ghana. Instead of adapting the teachings and practices of the new religion to suit indigenous values, as it did when the same Christian religion adopted Greek, Roman, German and Anglo-Saxon native practices, the early Christian missionaries condemned totally as pagan, and to be avoided by their converts, whatever they considered strange. (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. He was followed, three years afterwards, by the Rev. Under the Basel Missions Salem system, converts were separated from the traditional society. Contribution of the Methodist Church to education in Ghana It was however in the coastal territories filled with mulattos and other European trading communities that Christianity won some of its early success. 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. Now, with the burgeoning Cocoa industry, the expansion of commercial activity, the development of gold mines and the building of roads and railways disturbed the traditional lifestyle. Besides education, they cared for the sick. education was an important means for mission evangelization. Therefore, considering that the impact of mission education continues to have serious repercussions today, one must question whether the First World should continue to interfere in African education. In such situations, the message sometimes appealed to the local people depending on the efficiency of the interpreter. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Media Group Ltd, Bristol Archives/Universal Images Group/Getty Images, Committee Member - MNF Research Advisory Committee, PhD Scholarship - Uncle Isaac Brown Indigenous Scholarship. Although it can be said that Christian missionaries benefitted Africans by bringing in the more advanced Western education to the European colonies in Africa, it is believed that the mission schools in fact had a negative impact on the native peoples. Contribution of Christian Missionaries in Ghana - Cegast Academy This involved learning to read in the vernacular (Hadfield cited in Bone 1969:7). Indeed, most of our early nationalists were all products of mission schools. Let's look in-depth into these scholarships. DISCLOSURE. 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. By using postcolonial theory as a framework for analysis, it is evident that the Western formal education introduced to the people of the Gold Coast by the Christian missionaries and the British Colonial government did not serve the indigenous population well. 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. WAEC When he arrived in Nkwatia-Kwahu to teach English at St. Peters Secondary School, the town had yet to benefit from electricity and running water. They worked to write the bible, dictionaries and textbooks in such Ghanaian Languages as Ewe, Fanti, Ga and Twi. In addition to teaching, he served as national spiritual director of the Ghana Sacred Heart Enthronement Centre and spiritual director of the Accra Diocesan Sacred Heart Centre. A large body of studies show that missionaries had a lasting impact beyond their early years. The Christian missionaries of different missionary societies made a tremendous contribution to education in South Africa. Registered office: Creative Tower, Fujairah, PO Box 4422, UAE. Their luggage and other necessities had to be carried on heads and took a long time before reaching the missionaries. Baker Pub Group, 1996. Father Burke, whose students included Father Tetteh and Archbishop Charles Palmer-Buckle of Accra, arrived in Ghana, West Africa, in 1963, only four years after the country gained independence from Great Britain. 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. Longman Group Ltd. London and Basingstoke, 1986, Fage, J.D. The expansion of the missionary movement into Africa was part of the growing conception of Christian responsibility for the regeneration of African peoples. . This company promoted the import and export trade in Ghana. Economics As happened in other West African countries, many more mission-sponsored hospitals were founded in the course of the twentieth century. All rights reserved. The resulting atmosphere of disunity enabled the European colonialists to easily achieve their goal of economic exploitation. Thank you! Besides, the missionaries had to travel longer distances to inland towns from their southern stations. WhatsApp : +233204700052 He worked zealously as an evangelist and schoolmaster in the Castle School until his death in 1816. In 2006, Father Burke was appointed lecturer at the newly founded Catholic University College of Ghana in Sunyani. the role of administrators, chiefs and the missions; first attempts at agricultural and industrial training; girls' education and teacher training before 1850; some chief factors in educational expansion 1850-1900; government official policy in educational expansion 1850-1900; agricultural, industrial and vernacular training 1850-1900 *You can also browse our support articles here >. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The Ghana Education Decentralization Project (GEDP), launched in 2010 and ended in 2012, has increased the influence of local authorities over management . 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. Among several others, the native Bishop Ajayi Crowther produced the first translation of the Bible in Yoruba. Africa and the Winder World 3. Moreover, they introduced new crops into the Ghanaian economy. First, alignment can help you communicate your . One of them, Philip Quaque, returned in 1765 as an ordained priest. 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). 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. 2018). It is one of the oldest continuously published periodicals by and about Black people. A second reason for the poor education of the mission schools was that in many cases the teachers in mission schools were unqualified as teachers, but were instead preachers by training.
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