History of Education in Nigeria

A. Babs Fafunwa

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9780429847127
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: History of Education

Originally published in 1974, a comprehensive history of Nigerian Education, from early times right through to the time of publication, had long been needed by all concerned with Education in Nigeria, students, teachers and educational administrators. No one was better qualified than Professor Fafunwa to provide such a book, and in doing so he gave due emphasis to the beginnings of Education in its three main stages of indigenous, Muslim and Christian Education.

Nigerian Education had been considered all too often as a comparatively recent phenomenon, but this book points out from the start that 'Education is as old as Man himself in Africa' and that both Islam and Christianity were comparative newcomers in the field. A historical treatment of these three strands which have combined to make up the modern Educational system was vital to a clear understanding of what was needed for the future, and most of the first half of the book is concerned with these Educational beginnings.

The imposing of a foreign colonial system on this framework did not always lead to a happy fusion of the systems, and the successes and the failures are examined in detail. There was no shortage of documentary evidence in the form of reports and statistics during the decades prior to publication, but this evidence was frequently scattered and inaccessible to the student, so that the author's careful selection of key evidence and reports, often drawn from his own personal experience, will be invaluable for those wishing to trace the development of Education in Nigeria up to the early 1970s.

A knowledge of the history and development of the Nigerian Education system, of the numerous and intensely varied personalities and beliefs which have combined and often conflicted to shape it, is indispensable to all students in colleges and universities studying to become teachers. It is this knowledge that Professor Fafunwa set out to provide, drawing on his wide experience as teacher writer and educationalist.

Chapter 1

Traditional African Education

In the beginning of the world Adam saw the animals first before he named them.

No study of the history of education in Africa is complete without adequate knowledge of the traditional or irdigenous educational system prevalent in Africa before the arrival of Islam and Christianity. In Nigeria, Islam pre-dated Christianity by well over 300 years. But these two important religions which have influenced Nigerian education in no small measure are of recent development compared with the indigenous system of education which is as old as Man himself in Africa.

Every society, whether simple or complex, has its own system for training and educating its youth, and education for the good life has been one of the most persistent concerns of men throughout history. However, the goal of education and the method of approach may differ from place to place, nation to nation, and people to people. The Greek idea of an educated man was one who was mentally and physically well-balanced. The Romans, on the other hand, placed emphasis on oratorical and military training. During the Middle Ages in England the knight, the lord and the priest were considered classical examples of a well-educated élite; in France, the scholar was the hallmark of excellence; in Germany, it was the patriot. In Old Africa, the warrior, the hunter, the nobleman, the man of character or anyone who combined the latter feature with a specific skill was adjudged to be a well-educated and well-integrated citizen of his community.

In Old African society the purpose of education was clear: functionalism was the main guiding principle. African society regarded education as a means to an end and not as an end in itself. Education was generally for an immediate induction into society and a preparation for adulthood. In particular, African education emphasised social responsibility, job orientation, political participation and spiritual and moral values. Children learnt by doing, that is to say, children and adolescents were engaged in participatory education through ceremonies, rituals, imitation, recitation and demonstration. They were involved in practical farming, fishing, weaving, cooking, carving, knitting, and so on. Recreational subjects included wrestling, dancing, drumming, acrobatic display, racing, etc., while intellectual training included the study of local history, legends, the environment (local geography, plants and animals), poetry, reasoning, riddles, proverbs, story-telling, story-relays, etc. Education in Old Africa was an integrated experience. It combined physical training with character-building, and manual activity with intellectual training. At the end of each stage, demarcated either by age level or years of exposure, the child was given a practical test relevant to his experience and level of development and in terms of the job to be done. This was a continuous assessment which eventually culminated in a ‘passing out’ ceremony, or initiation into adulthood.

For the select or the elect, secret cults served as institutions of higher or further education. It was at this level that the secret of power (real or imaginary), profound native philosophy, science and religion were mastered. Irrespective of the level of education and training given during the pre-colonial days in Africa, it was functional because the curriculum was relevant to the needs of the society. Unemployment, if it existed at all, was minimal and very few young men roamed the villages and towns.

Education in Old Africa was not rigidly compartmentalised as is the case in the contemporary system. Today, educators are beginning to talk about universities without walls, schools without classes, and subjects without grades. This is as it should be, particularly in Africa where only a handful constitutes the élite, and where if a stage is missed all other chances may be forfeited. It is even worse if one has never seen the inside of a formal school. Certainly, one important guiding principle is that education, in the widest sense of the word, should be a continuous process, flexible enough to accommodate any mature person at any stage.

The aim, the content and the methods of traditional education are intricately interwoven; they are not divided into separate compartments as is the case with the Westernised system of education. The characteristics of traditional education in Africa are aptly summarised by Abdou Moumouni in his book, Education in Africa:

1. The great importance attached to it, and its collective and social nature.

2. Its intimate tie with social life, both in a material and a spiritual sense.

3. Its multivalent character, both in terms of its goals and the means employed.

4. Its gradual and progressive achievements, in conformity with the successive stages of physical, emotional and mental development of the child.¹

Because indigenous education failed to conform to the ways of the Westernised system, some less well-informed writers have considered it primitive, even savage and barbaric. But such contentions should be seen as the product of ignorance and due to a total misunderstanding of the inherent value of informal education. After all, education is the aggregate of all the processes by which a child or young adult develops the abilities, attitudes and other forms of behaviour which are of positive value to the society in which he lives; that is to say, it is a process for transmitting culture in terms of continuity and growth and for disseminating knowledge either to ensure social control or to guarantee rational direction of the society or both. All educational systems, whether traditional or Western-oriented, seek to achieve these goals irrespective of the curriculum, methods and organisation designed for the purpose.

When evaluating any educational system, one must determine the extent to which it is meeting the needs of a particular society at any given time. Traditional African education must therefore be judged not by any extraneous consideration or some foreign yardstick but by its performance within a given social context. Many European observers tend to ignore this important factor.

Traditional Education in Nigeria

Although Nigeria consists of many ethnic groups and societies each with its own culture and tradition, they all have common educational aims and objectives. But methods differ from place to place, chiefly because of social, economic and geographical imperatives.

CHILDHOOD

The arrival of a child in a Nigerian family is a great occasion. It is celebrated with fanfare and merriment. The naming ceremony is conducted in full view of all of the members of the extended family, relatives and friends. Special rites are performed by the head of the family and the child may be given as many as half a dozen names. In certain ethnic groups each name has a special significance either in terms of a specific event, period or special circumstance surrounding the birth of the child.

The education of the child in Nigerian society starts from infancy just as in any European, Asiatic or American society. The baby is fed regularly, mostly through breast-feeding, and weaned at the appropriate time. Of course, practices differ from ethnic group to ethnic group. All societies train their children in toileting, eating, socialisation and general behaviour. At this initial stage the child is more intimately involved with his mother than his father. This closeness of the child to his mother from birth to the age of 5 or 6 is universal because it is the mother and not the family who rears the child at this early stage of his development. In a polygamous family, there are other ‘mothers’ who take it as part of their duty to minister to the needs of the child; but even then, the real mother carries the final responsibility. Many anthropologists and sociologists have written extensively on the mother-father-child relationship in African society but basically the situation is no different from elsewhere. The father is out most of the day and the mother stays at home with the child. As his protector, she is sensitive to everything that happens to him and ministers to all of his needs.

Every child between the ages of 1 and 6 is curious and watches his mother’s gestures and expressions. He learns his language from his mother and knows what it means when she smiles, frowns or weeps. As the child learns to walk all breakables are moved from his path, lest he stumbles on them or breaks them while playing. The mother carries him on her back wherever she goes, tends him when sick, and puts him to bed.

As the child grows older he becomes even more curious about things around him; he gradually realises that there are other worlds outside his mother’s own. He notices others around him and watches their activities. He learns to manipulate things, plays with toys or any other object that is easily accessible to him. To restrain him from doing certain things, outright threats or taboos may be introduced by the parents or siblings.

Between the ages of 4 and 6 and sometimes earlier, in some families, the grandparents, uncles and aunts become involved in the education of the child. They send him on small errands, tell him stories, teach him obedience and respect for elders (a very important aspect of African education), code of behaviour, history of the family or the ethnic group.

THE AGE-GROUPS

As we said earlier, traditional education is all embracing and every social institution involves educational activities which lead the individual to acquire behaviour-patterns, abilities and skills necessary for effective citizenship in the community in which...