contribution of missionaries to education in ghana

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. Christianity in West Africa: The Nigerian Story. They were followed by other major missionary bodies, including the Methodists and the Roman Catholics. Some of these effects are still with us today. With the arrival of more missions into the country came an explosion in mission schools across southern Ghana. Missionaries travelled through dense evergreen forests, crossed rivers and climbed mountains to bring the Gospel to as many Ghanaians as they could. His work, however, did not extend much beyond Cape Coast and the neighbouring area. In Nigeria, one of the lasting works of the C.M.S. As they could not recruit British missionary volunteers initially, the Church Missionary Society sponsored the services of German missionaries, who were Lutherans, to come out to Sierra Leone. English for life According to the Head of the Methodist Church in Ghana, Mmofraturo was established in Kumasi, 'when it dawned on the early Wesleyan Missionaries that when the girl child was educated, she could grow up to face the challenges of the fast-changing world. The early Christian missions concentrated their activities not only on religious matters. 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. He is survived by two brothers, Walter and Kevin Burke. If a government fails to regulate schools at all, they have no right to complain that the education in their colony is poor. The missionaries also greatly improved the health services. (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. Lack of transport from the coast to the interior parts of West Africa was one of the major difficulties encountered by the missionaries. Box 6000, Techny, IL 60082-6000. He worked zealously as an evangelist and schoolmaster in the Castle School until his death in 1816. Brief History. Economics The Christian missionaries of different missionary societies made a tremendous contribution to education in South Africa. 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. The next major Christian missionaries to go out to Sierra Leone were the Roman Catholics. She succeeded in stopping the killing of twins in the areas where she served. 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. 503 0 obj <> endobj 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! People all around the world are searching for hope, but many dont have someone to tell them about the hope found in Jesus. After earlier unsuccessful attempts by the missionaries Chretien Proten, Henrick Huckuff and Jacobus Capitein, the Anglican, Rev. Again, in West-Africa, the efforts to go beyond the coast to reach those inland with the gospel coincided with the southwards expansion of Islam which posed some threat to the expansion of the work of Christian evangelizing missions. These pioneer mission schools met with a discouraging response. To apply, students simply fill out a quick form. We must not lose sight of the fact that the colonial government in Ghana and elsewhere in Africa relied on the activities of the missionaries to help them achieve the objectives of colonial rule. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'cegastacademy_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_15',609,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-cegastacademy_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');The European missionaries began their activities in Ghana as far back as the early fifteenth century. In Ghana the Presbyterians were pioneers in reducing Ga and Twi into writing. Johannes Zimmermann, for example, produced a Ga dictionary, Ga bible and grammar book. Isichei, Elizabeth. For instance, in Nigeria, one of the first groups of missionaries to introduce organised medical services were the Roman Catholics. Andreas Riis, assisted by a team of West Indian evangelists, laid the foundations of the Basel Missionary Church in the country. Ekechi, Felix K. Colonialism and Christianity in West Africa: The Igbo Case, 19001915. The Journal of African History 12, no. government questions History books tended to exaggerate in achievements of Europeans, making no reference to Africans own great past. 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. 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. History of the church in Africa: a survey. 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. Also, Christian missionaries in Ghana were as zealous as their counterparts in Nigeria in pioneering medical services. After earlier unsuccessful attempts by the missionaries Chretien Proten, Henrick Huckuff and Jacobus Capitein, the Anglican, Rev. First, alignment can help you communicate your . Included on the website is information about the charitys programs, such as their Leadership Development Program in which participants earn a degree in their chosen field of study, and participate in Christian leadership training, enabling them to become a fully developed agent of change in their nation (Compassion Canada 2011). This single problem made the missionary work very difficult. They provided missionaries a way to spread Eurocentric norms and attract new converts. Call: +233558280780, Your email address will not be published. C.M.S. In addition to studying the impact of these struggles on education, we also need to understand how they influenced gender inequality. education was an important means for mission evangelization. No plagiarism, guaranteed! 1 (1971): 103-115. Africa and the Winder World 3. Its message was that of love and the universal brotherhood of mankind. Your email address will not be published. Also, the traditional doctors more often than not could not diagnose illness accurately. 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. student life I well remember when he came to live with me in Trenton. Another reason why the Europeans came to spread the Christian religion in Ghana was to pave their own way into eternal glory. 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. In 1876 the college became associated with Durham University in England, which awarded degrees to students of the college. Among other things the regulations required that all teachers should be registered, and a minimum salary was fixed. better grades First, missions saw education foremost as a means of conversion (Ayandele 1966: 286; Bassey 1991: 36; Berman 1974:527; Foster 1965:85; Sheffield 1973:11). And yet the Asafo provided most of the services which a community needed: protection against military attacks, communal services, etc. Government & Politics In the case of Ghana, like other nations, the impact . An attempt to respond to this question informs the underlying interest for this paper, namely, to explore the extent to which these institutions, especially . The system was devoid of any cohesive national policy. 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. 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). S.J. Establishment of Christian Churches In Ghana. Moreover, the Islamic religion was also being introduced to the southern section of the country by Muslim immigrants from the north of the colony. 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. Although Lokoja had a small C.M.S. The effort of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Reiterating what teacher education must encapsulate, Adegoke (2003) and Benneh (2006) indi-cated that the mission of Ghana's teacher education is to pro- On the opposite side, the coming of the Christian missionaries brought in its wake certain negative developments like disregard for African culture and rebellion against traditional authority. began work in many parts of Africa. 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. Roman Catholic and Anglican missionaries came to the Gold Coast from the 15th century. Given their priorities, it should thus come as little surprise that missions often provided poor education to the African pupils. The Church had its strongest hold in the Senegambia area. 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. The copies of letters received, 1890-1927, mention the plan from 1914 to gain control of future Ashanti Chiefs using education. Soon after the Methodist experiment, the church Missionary Society set up their own school at Badagry. Before 1925, there were only three secondary schools and three teacher training colleges in Ghana. 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. Following agitation by the people in 1934, the government opened the old Yaba Higher College and Medical School, which awarded diplomas acceptable only locally. Mission Statement Website design and development by Americaneagle.com, Inc, Society of the Divine Word- Western Province, Society of the Divine Word- Southern Province. Seeing as missions in the British and Italian colonies had monopolies on education for the nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries, this reluctance meant that there were few secondary schools at all (Ayandele 1966:287; Beck 1966: 120). Preventive medicine was hardly known; the result was that epidemics of different kinds were frequent. The Basel and Methodist Missions, for example, introduced scientific agriculture in Ghana. The home page of Compassion Canada is that of a stereotypical Northern charity: showing pictures of suffering children alternating with those of post-intervention, happy children. They relied very much on their home churches for their funds. It is interesting to note that this project is not a new concept. quiz In Fanteland, the Methodists and Roman Catholics pioneered similar works. 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). The contents of this tutorial will serve as a guide for a suitable essay on the below WAEC/WASSCE History past question. Wed love to get to know you and discuss how God is calling you. (As at December 2020). WhatsApp : +233204700052 In Nigeria, one of the lasting works of the C.M.S missionaries was the development of literature in Yoruba. 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. 2: Trans-Saharan Trade. An Alumnus of the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, a Journalist, Author and a Philanthropist. They also prescribed many taboos which, in the light of modern medical science, had no relation whatever with the illness being treated. A new era began with the settlements of Black Christians from Nova Scotia in Sierra Leone in 1787 and the missionary advance inland from Cape Town beginning with the arrival there of J. T. van der Kemp in 1799. Thomas Thompson, arrived in Cape Coast in 1752. It is possible to hear the tune of this missionary hymn. 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. The European Christian missions preached the Gospel, built churches, and seminaries translated the Bible to Ghanaian Languages such as Ewe, Ga, and Twi. 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. Some early success included the Liberian coast where Afro-Americans and freed slaves were converted. Theres still so much to be learned from the history of education in Africa and its long-term consequences. We've received widespread press coverage since 2003, Your UKEssays purchase is secure and we're rated 4.4/5 on reviews.co.uk. Their activities had both positive and negative effects on Ghanaian society. In 1989-90, the government banned the activities of several religious organizations, including the Church. Missionary, educator contributed to building independent Ghana. Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 15th century, informal education existed in Ghana with the goal of introducing young people into the society. Unsurprisingly, the level of education increased as one moved closer to the missionaries. With the support of the Propagation of the Faith within the Vatican, whose Cardinal Secretary became Pope Gregory XVI, various Roman Catholic missionary societies were founded. Lastly, the missionaries were not used to eating our local foods. Please click this link to download the chapter. A notable example was the Asafo Company, a purely military and social organisation of the peoples of Ghana, which was condemned by the early missionaries because of its presumed connection with fetish practices. After a time the idea becomes ingrained -it is heathen and unchristian to be an African culturally (Awori cited in Berman 1974:536). Rev. One Liberian student recalls that we were taught to dress properly, to eat properly, to speak properly. Let's look in-depth into these scholarships. African poetry The Methodists founded Mfantsipim (1876) for boys and Wesley Girls High School (1884). 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.

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