LECTURE 4 (HISTORY OF
EDUCATION)
DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION IN
AFRICA 1920- 1945
LECTURE 4 (HISTORY OF EDUCATION)
Introduction
In our last lecture we showed how formal western education was
introduced in Africa in the period preceding 1920. We further learnt
the role played by missionaries, government officials, and Africans in
the development of education during this period. In this lecture we
are going to discuss the development of education from 1920 up to
the end of World War II in 1945,
LECTURE 4 (HISTORY OF EDUCATION)
Expected Learning outcomes:
At the end of the lesson or lecture learners shall be able to:
• Discuss the main factors behind the development of education
during the period 1920- 45;
• Explain the impetus behind the formulation of policy on
education during the period;
• Describe the main features of development in systems of
education during the period (1920-45)
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World-War I (1914- 1918) marked an
important turning point in the history of
education in Africa. Before the war, there had
been virtually no overall policy in education.
Having been locked for four years in war, the
colonial powers were no longer self-confident
as to the natural superiority of Europeans.
LECTURE 4(HISTORY OF EDUCATION)
Factors behind the development of education
New interest in education: Education, treated
indifferently for decades was now recognised
as an important aspect of colonial policy.
Government increased grants to mission
schools. Africans began to develop new
interests in education, for they saw it as a
means to political and economic emancipation
LECTURE 4 (HISTORY OF EDUCATION)
Factors behind the development of History of
education
International interests in problems in colonial
education: Soon after World War I, the international
community began to develop an interest in problems
of colonial education. This interest was brought to
surface by the League of Nations’ mandate system.
This forced European powers to review their past
educational activities in Africa and draw up a policy
programme for future development.
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The impact of the Phelps –Stoke Commission
report An important event that gave rise to the
expansion of educational institutions was the visit in
the early 1920s of the Phelps Stokes Commission on
education in Africa.
A new climate of opinion was highlighted by the
publication of the commission’s reports. The reports were
the result of the work of a commission composed of
American, British, and African educators who visited
educational institutions in Africa.
LECTURE 4(HISTORY OF EDUCATION)
The commission’s terms of reference were: to
assess the nature and quality of education of
Negros both in Africa and the USA. The
importance of the commission to Africa lay in
its recommendations.
It focused attention to the needs and
problems of African education. It encouraged
local administrators to study experiments that
had been made among American Negros.
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Factors behind the development of education in
Africa Cont…
Colonial policy in Education Africa :Following the
Phelps Stokes report, colonial governments issued
policy statements on the development of
education in their territories in Africa. These policy
statements had a tremendous impact on
development and expansion of education in
Africa.;
LECTURE 4(HISTORY OF EDUCATION0
British colonial policy statements included:
• The 1925 Memorandum on education policy in
British tropical Africa;
• The 1935 Memorandum on education of African
communities;
• The 1937 De la Warr Commission on higher
education at this level; played an important role in
the development of education at this level;
• The 1944 Memorandum on mass education in
African society;
LECTURE 4 (HISTORY OF EDUCATION)
Factor behind the development of education in
Africa Cont…
• African agricultural products: There was economic
depression following World War I. As a result of this
war, farms in Europe had been devastated.
Consequently, African agricultural products began,
earning a higher price on the international market.
This made additional funds available for
development and expansion of education during
this period (1920- 1945).
LECTURE 4 (HISTORY OF EDUCATION)
Policy on education in Africa
After the (1914- 1918) World War I, the League
of Nations was created in the hope that disputes
between nations would be settled by discussion
rather than by war. Countries which had been
German colonies, such as Tanzania mainland,
the Cameroon’s and Togoland were put under
the supervision of the League of Nations and
were known as “mandated territories”
LECTURE 4(HISTORY OF EDUCATION)
Following the creation of the League of Nations two
types of policies of colonial administration were
established in the Africa colonies. One utilised by the
French, Belgians and the Portuguese known as direct
rule, and the other utilised by British known indirect
rule.
Lord Lugard, who had achieved fame as administrator
in Uganda, Hong Kong and Nigeria wrote a book, The
Dual Mandate. This book became almost a text book
for British administration in Africa.
LECTURE 4 (HISTORY OF EDUCATION)
The book contributed to the development of
education policy in Africa. Lugard argued that in
its African colonies, the British government had
a dual or double duty to perform. One duty was
that laid down by the League of Nations as
noted above. The other one was to make the
colony an economic asset to the world at large.
This involved the encouragement within limits of
European enterprise and industry.
LECTURE 4 (HISTORY OF EDUCATION)
• Lord Lugard, who had achieved fame as administrator in
Uganda, Hong Kong and Nigeria wrote a book, The Dual
Mandate. This book became almost a text book for
British administration in Africa. The book contributed to
the development of education policy in Africa. Lugard
argued that in its African colonies, the British government
had a dual or double duty to perform. One duty was that
laid down by the League of Nations as noted above. The
other one was to make the colony an economic asset to
the world at large. This involved the encouragement
within limits of European enterprise and industry.
LECTURE4 (HISTORY OF EDUCATION)
In 1925, the British Government as a result of consultations
with the Advisory Committee issued a White Paper on
Educational Policy in Tropical Africa. The paper became the
basis of policy in the period 1920- 1945. The White Paper
covered all aspects of education in Africa. The paper:
• Led to the establishment of the Colonial Educational Service;
• Encouraged cooperation between government and other
educational agencies;
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• Recommended the setting up in each colony an Advisory
Board of Education;
• Recommended an effective system of inspection and
supervision to ensure that educational standards were
maintained.;
• Envisaged a system of schools which would include
elementary education, intermediate or secondary
education and higher colleges that would develop into
universities;
LECTURE 4 (HISTORY OF EDUCATION)
Following the White Paper, colonial
governments introduced Education Ordinances.
These Ordinances:
• Regulated the form and nature of cooperation
between Government and Voluntary agencies;
• Laid down the amount and conditions for
grants-in –aid;
• Provided regulations for the establishment and
management of schools.
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Thus during the 1920- 1945 period policy on
education in British colonies in Africa was largely
determined by two bodies, namely,
• The Advisory Committee on Education in the
colonies (committee based in London) and
• The territorial Central Advisory Board of Education.
The Advisory committee on Education, since its inception,
produced a number of valuable papers on education, the
most outstanding during this period being:
LECTURE 4 (HISTORY OF EDUCATION)
The 1935 Memorandum on
Education of African
Communities;
The 1944 Memorandum on Mass
Education in African Societies.
LECTURE 4 (HISTORY OF EDUCATION)
These were discussed by Territorial Advisory
Board of Education and their proposals
adopted or embodied in territorial policies on
education.
All these aspects contributed towards
preparing for advances in the development of
policy on education that came after the end of
World War II in 1945.
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Developments in systems of Education
During the period, 1920- 1945. Most
territories in Africa witnessed
development in their system of
education.
LECTURE 4 (HISTORY OF EDUCATION)
Most colonies in British tropical Africa
witnessed development of educational
systems which were capable of
providing a quarter of children with 2
to 4 years of education and with a
selection of a few 8 to 12 years.
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Belgian policy in Congo was similar, but with
emphasis on primary education.
The French on the other hand, made little use
of the pre-existing missionary foundations, but
set up state schools in which a small minority
of Africans followed the curricula of
metropolitan France.
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With regard to British colonies in Africa, Sierra
Leone, in West Africa experienced expansion
of education at various levels. Secondary
education was offered mostly at mission
schools. For many years secondary schools
prepared their pupils for Junior Cambridge as
well as for Cambridge school certificate.
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Teacher education was offered at Government
Agricultural College at Njala (opened in 1919),
teacher training colleges at Bunumbu (opened
in 1935) and Bo (opened in 1942). Fourah Bay
College offered degree courses in affiliation with
university of Durham.
LECTURE 4 (HISTORY OF EDUCATION)
The mission continued to develop their
educational work: in the Gambia at
Bathurst; in Ghana at Cape Coast and
Amisano, Odumase; in Nigeria at Lagos,
Onitsha, Abeokuta, Ibadan and Calabar.
LECTURE 4 (HISTORY OF EDUCATION)
In French Africa, much of the education
provided was offered by the state.
Primary education was offered in
regional schools which, by 1937, were
about 80 and scattered over French West
Africa. A small number existed in French
Equatorial Africa.
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Secondary education was limited
to the filling the needs of the
government service. Nearly all of it
was offered in three first- class
institutions in Dakar.
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The best known of these institutions was
E’cole Normale William Ponty. These
e’coles normales mainly trained
secondary school teachers. They
recruited students by holding competitive
examination among those finishing the
advanced primary education.
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In the East African, there was considerable
enthusiasm in Western education after the
end of World War I. Education expanded
greatly at all levels with missionaries having a
virtual monopoly of all types of primary and
secondary school education.
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Conclusion:
Considered in this lecture include:
Factors that contributed to the development of
education in the period 1920-1945:
International interest in the problems affecting colonial
education;
The impact of the Phelps stoke commission report;
The colonial policy in education Africa
African agricultural products
Policy on education in Africa
LECTURE 4 (HISTORY OF EDUCATION)
Activities
• Discuss the main factors behind the development
of education in Africa during the 1920- 45 period;
• Discuss the development of policies on education
during the 1920- 45 period in Africa;
• Describe the main features of development in
systems of education in Africa during the 1920- 45
period.
LECTURE 4 (HISTORY OF EDUCATION)
Further Reading
• Hilliard, F. H. (1975). A short History of Education in
West Africa. London: Nelson and Sons Ltd.
• Moumonni, A. (1968). Education in Africa. London:
Andre Deutsch.
• Sifuna, D. N. and Otiende, J.E. (1994). An Introductory
History of Education. Nairobi: Nairobi University Press
(Revised Edition).
• Watson, T and Furley, O.W. (1978). A History of
Education in East Africa. New York: Nok Publishers.
