In 1827 it grew into Fourah Bay College. Lastly, the missionaries were not used to eating our local foods. Instruction in the Colonial School and the Wesleyan Mission schools at Cape Coast Castle was in English despite the fact that Fanti was the language of the native people. An Alumnus of the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, a Journalist, Author and a Philanthropist. Henry Townsend who went from Sierra Leone to Badagry in 1842 in his company was the Rev Ajayi Crowther. In fact in 1966, Father Burke led students to a victory in a national educational contest called the Ghana TV Cup. Missionary, educator contributed to building independent Ghana Again, the Wesleyan missionaries established Mfantsipim School in Cape Coast in 1876. As happened in other territories, the Christian missionaries did not confine their work to the spread of the gospel alone. Specifically, it addresses the unique role of Christian missions in. 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. which were for females (Graham, 1971). There were related organizations that sprang up in Scandinavia, Holland and the USA. Third, rivalry between the various Christian denominations also contributed to the poor standards of education. 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. Even when governments discouraged domestic industries, graduates of vocational schools contributed to the economy of the colonies -and therefore indirectly the mother countrys as well. Kalu, Ogbu. Bamgboye & Company Press, 1976. Our academic experts are ready and waiting to assist with any writing project you may have. 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. For example, they made our people view polygamy and puberty rites as pagan practices. 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. He is survived by two brothers, Walter and Kevin Burke. PDF Formal Education in Gold Coast-Ghana: An Overview of Colonial Policies opened was the Christian Institute, established in 1814 for the training of teachers, catechists and priests. He was followed, three years afterwards, by the Rev. endstream endobj 504 0 obj <>>>/Lang(en)/MarkInfo<>/Metadata 55 0 R/Outlines 135 0 R/Pages 498 0 R/StructTreeRoot 142 0 R/Type/Catalog/ViewerPreferences<>>> endobj 505 0 obj <>/MediaBox[0 0 612 792]/Parent 499 0 R/Resources<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageC]/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> endobj 506 0 obj <>stream The missionary activities in Nigeria, especially their educational programs helped to whip-up the consciousness of a shared identity and helped to train a new set of elite that championed the course of nationalism and constituted a virile leadership for the young nation at independence.Click to see full answer What is missionary education?A mission school or [] The Christian Connector Scholarship. Another contribution of missionaries to the development of Ghana was their pioneering role in writing many local languages. There were only bush paths, and no roads in the early times. In such asituation, provisions and other things had to be sent into the country not in large quantities as would have been desired by the missionaries. 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. It was also terribly hard for a woman to be driven away, and to lose her status in the society where she is respected as a wife and a mother. In 1892, the Church Missionary Society opened the Iyi Enu Hospital in Onitsha which is today a leading hospital in Anambra state. Soon after, in 1835 they moved up to Akropong on the hills in Akuapem, where the pioneer missionary the Rev. Hilliard, F.H., 1957. The effects of work done by Bishop Ajayi Crowther, assisted by the Igbo recaptive the Rev. others adopted a system of education varied from one and the other hence, lacking consistency in the educational sector [3]. The study traces the his tory of colonial education and the tremendous contributions of missionaries in the establishment of formal education in the region. This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. 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. Human Zoos: Untold History of Suppression, The Legend of King Ulu (Ancient Thai Folklore), The Kingdom of Saud of The Arabs (Saudi Arabia), The Wesley Brothers of Oxford University (1700s), Razia Sultan of Medieval India (786 Years Ago), The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade (The Revelation), Education in Africa: The Impact of Colonialism, Why The Legendary Geneva Bible was Banned. Establishment of Christian Churches In Sierra Leone. They worked to write the bible, dictionaries and textbooks in such Ghanaian Languages as Ewe, Fanti, Ga and Twi. Initially, their activities focused on coastal areas. 2006 - 2023 Microform Academic Publishers | Microform Academic Publishers is a division of Microform Imaging Limited (Company registered in England no. ), Father Auguste Moreau and Father Eugene Murat, arrived at Elmina and revived the Roman Catholic Church in Ghana. These included the Baptist missionaries who under the American evangelist, Thomas Bowen, started work from Ogbomosho in 1855. The problems created by the white missionaries themselves arose largely from a misconception of what Africa represented. Prior to the advent of western education, Ghana's traditional social structures had inbuilt opportunities for mobility. Some progressive Europeans, like the first principal of Achimota College, Rev. Another important missionary doctor was J. R. Stephen who for many years headed a missionary hospital at Ilesha. The school, which was established the year of independence in 1957, was a work in progress. church were founded in south-eastern Nigeria, the chief centres being Bonny and Brass. Then lets begin straightaway. They were at the forefront during the fight for self-rule in Ghana. In Ghana, missions strategically weighted costs and benefits when choosing where to establish their churches and schools. Metadata. He introduced the Methodist Church in Asante in 1839, and won the support of the Asante king. Mobility depended on the . If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help! He worked zealously as an evangelist and schoolmaster in the Castle School until his death in 1816. And thats why I decided to look deeply into this issue. wassce literature questions. In the Gambia, the Methodist missionary and first principal of what later became known as the Gambia High School, the Rev. B. et al. Missionary, educator contributed to building independent Ghana. While living at the Divine Word Residence in Bordentown, N.J., he often visited parishes and schools to talk about missionary work. These pioneer mission schools met with a discouraging response. 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. A tiny act of kindness is remembered by a young man in need. Meanwhile, the Scottish missionary, Mary Slessor, had established a reputation in the Cross River area as a nurse. Longman Group Ltd. London and Basingstoke, 1986, Fage, J.D. Origins, organization and effects in the development of West Africa, 3: Islam in West Africa. Christianity reborn: the global expansion of evangelicalism in the twentieth century. Looking for a flexible role? The Christian Connector is a great resource for Christians and aspiring ministry leaders and missionaries to apply for scholarships. The coming of the Christian missionaries to Ghana had a positive impact on agriculture. The Ghana Education Decentralization Project (GEDP), launched in 2010 and ended in 2012, has increased the influence of local authorities over management . English grammar 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). The European missionaries engaged in trading and other commercial activities as well. Lake Volta provides a vital venue for aviation evangelism in remote areas. These attempts were traumatic for the students and threatened the survival of unique cultures. Educational Reforms in Ghana: Past and Present - ResearchGate This was because all the ships that came to the coast at that time were owned by trading firms and companies whose interest were basically on trade. ), Father Auguste Moreau and Father Eugene Murat, arrived at Elmina and revived the Roman Catholic Church in Ghana. %%EOF Another difficulty that the early missionaries faced in the spread of Christianity was insufficient Christian literature at that time. Ghana Education Service seeks to create an enabling environment in all educational institutions and management positions that will facilitate effective teaching and learning and efficiency in the management for the attainment of the goals of the Service. A new attempt to spread Christianity was made when the Church Missionary Society (CMS) arrived from Britain in 1821. In the days of Portuguese contacts with Nigeria, Catholic priests had established missionary stations in Benin and the neighbourhood. We were expected to accept the European language as the superior one, and this was reinforced throughout my school career (Abu cited in Berman 1974:536). 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. From 1835 to the middle of the nineteenth century the Church was in opposition to traditional religion. Despite the skills and opportunities mission schooling afforded, many Africans were not willing to pay the price. For instance, the Basel Mission established Basel Mission Trading Company (UTC) in 1859. This is the famous Presbyterian Teacher Training College founded in 1848 at Akropong-Akwapim. For instance, on 2nd October 1792, the Baptist Missionary Society was formed followed by the interdenominational London Missionary Society which was established in 1795. Missionaries and the intellectual history of Africa: a historical survey. Itinerario 7, no. The Methodists founded Mfantsipim (1876) for boys and Wesley Girls High School (1884). Initially, a majority of the missionary journeys was done with English-Speaking Protestants and later, in the 1820s and 1830s, they were joined by continental Protestantism from Germany, Switzerland and France. 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. Hope Waddell was later joined by the Rev. This finding was supported by two types of analysis. Frank Ogodo Ogbeche The system was devoid of any cohesive national policy. What are the contribution of the missionaries? - Alqatirat The education and skill development of the people is the highest, most potent agent of national development that the Church imparts to its output of students, scholars, and professionals who perform various precious roles in the various sectors of the national economy for national development,' he stated. In Nigeria, one of the lasting works of the C.M.S missionaries was the development of literature in Yoruba. PROBLEMS FACED BY THE CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES. 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. A special memorial Mass was celebrated at the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Accra, Ghana, on Oct. 9. 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. Call: +233558280780, Your email address will not be published. The original letters from abroad cover West Africa from 1899 to 1933. This made it difficult for the early missionaries to stay in the country for long. Therefore the period for the rise of Christianizing Missions in the late Nineteenth Century has been considered as reprise. Copyright 2003 - 2023 - UKEssays is a trading name of Business Bliss Consultants FZE, a company registered in United Arab Emirates. African prose These commercial activities, therefore, made an important contribution to the economic development of Ghana. We're here to answer any questions you have about our services. Its general scope extends to both Roman Catholic as well as Protestant missionaries in relation to education works. Do you have a 2:1 degree or higher? In my study, I explored how colonial era conflicts and disagreements over marriage norms lastingly affected educational development. Burns & Oates, 1979. life skills Please click this link to download the chapter. 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. Contribution of Christian Missionaries in Ghana - Cegast Academy The European Christian missions preached the Gospel, built churches, and seminaries translated the Bible to Ghanaian Languages such as Ewe, Ga, and Twi. Other Roman Catholic hospitals were built in all the nine regions of the country; including those at Asikuma and Foso (Central Region), Akyem Swedru (Eastern Region), Berekum (BrongAhafo), Maase (Asante Region) and Anfoega (Volta Region). Amma Darko missionaries was the development of literature in Yoruba. It was not until 1909 that the government opened a teacher training college and a technical school in Accra. 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. 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. cited in Miran 2002:128). Africa and the Winder World 3. (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. Thus as early as 1823, the Roman Catholic Sisters started a clinic for the sick and for children in Banjul. This was the work of the great missionary, Thomas Birch Freeman, who placed two missionaries, Mr and Mrs. de Graft, in charge of the school. Porter, Andrew. Being able to speak and write in the colonisers language was considered a privilege. It happens that some people convert at the end of their life in order to be buried in the prestigious Presbyterian cemetery. Indeed, once the souls had been saved and since the students must have been considered clever enough, European languages were almost universally the languages of instruction in the later primary years and in secondary schools (Beck 1966: 120; Foster 1965: 159; Miran 2002:127). The Journal of Negro Education, 8 8 The Effect of Western Formal B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004. 2: Trans-Saharan Trade. PDF Educational Reforms in Ghana: Past and Present Samuel Adu-Gyamfi1 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). Establishment of Christian Churches In Ghana. Their arrival in South Africa was aimed particularly at spreading the Word of God. If your specific country is not listed, please select the UK version of the site, as this is best suited to international visitors. It is much easier to interact on an equal basis or even challenge the authority of another group when one is able to communicate in that groups language, instead of having to rely on an interpreter or non-verbal gestures, which undermine ones ability to show authority or express ones beliefs. In fact, Jacobus Capitein, a former Ghanaian slave who became a priest in the Dutch Reformed Church in the 18th century was on record to have defended the practice of slavery. Joseph Dunwell. Hildebrandt, Jonathan. It is obvious that the main reason why the missionaries came to Ghana was to convert the indigenous people to the Christian faith. As happened in other West African countries, many more mission-sponsored hospitals were founded in the course of the twentieth century. In the Western Region, the Catholic Sisters running a hospital at Eikwe specialized in maternity cases, and like Slessor in Nigeria succeeded in stamping out the practice of killing twins at birth. A History of West Africa, Cambridge University Press, 1969, Fynn , J. K and R. Addo-Fening History for Senior Secondary schools. Some earlier scholarship on mission education has taken this as a positive impact of the missionaries. 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. A.G. Frazer, did much to encourage the promotion of indigenous culture, but by and large the colonial authorities contributed to dwindling a good deal of our cultural heritage. This instruction in 1948 developed into the University College in Ibadan. university courses As founder and director at CEGAST, he has successfully coached thousands of students in English, Literature, and related subjects for major international examinations. By 1914 there were barely thirty schools in that vast area. These missions significantly influenced the systematic educational development in the Gold Coast. Full article: Inequality of education in colonial Ghana: European 6: Christian Missionary Activities in West Africa In short, it was a very successful mission in making us little black Anglo-Saxon Protestants. His funeral Mass was Sept. 27, followed by burial at St. Mary Cemetery at Techny. Was this information useful? further studies Church history, history of Christianity, religious history: some reflections on British missionary enterprise since the late eighteenth century. Church History 71, no. In Sierra Leone, the Church Missionary Society (CMS), offshoot of the Anglican Church, was the first to become firmly established chiefly among the freed captive and freed slave settlers from Britain, Nova Scotia and other parts of the New World. %PDF-1.7 % As Ayandele points out (1966:285), the ideal of many of the missions was to make their converts live literally as the unlearned and ignorant apostles of old. This ideal, combined with the fact that many missionaries discovered that Africans with only basic education were best at spreading the Gospel, meant that missionaries were reluctant to provide higher primary or secondary education (Ayandele 1966:286).