EARLY MISSIONARY CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS ACTIVITIES | PROB;LEMS AND SOLUTIONS



            Missionary contact with the people of Nigeria started at the latter pail, of the 15lh Century when the Portuguese set their foot into what is now called Nigeria. As early as 1472, the Portuguese, in search of commerce had visited Lagos and Benin. They soon realized the importance of communicating with the people in a    common language and the need to share a common faith with their customers. This gave rise to their introducing the Christian religion to their customers and their establishment of schools.

            By 1515, the Catholic Missionary activities had started in earnest in Benin and a school had been established in the palace of the Oba of Benin for the sons of both the Oba and his chiefs who had been converted into Christianity. Between 1515 and 1571 the Portuguese-merchants had established"^ number of trading posts, churches and schools in Lagos, Benin and Brass. In addition, a seminary had been founded on the Island of Sao Thome off the coast of Nigeria. The main objective of the seminary was to train African s as Priests and teachers to manage the churches and schools that have been found. However, the Catholic influence was soon wiped out by the slave trade which ravaged West Africa for nearly three hundred firearms and the like. The Portuguese attempt at introducing western formal education had no impact for it faded with the collapse of the Portuguese influence in Nigeria.
            It was in the latter part of the nineteenth century that western education made any significant impact on Nigeria. The resurgence of Christian activities, was a resultant counter point to the ignoble and obnoxious slave trade which appalled human conscience, depleted and disillusioned the Africans. But again, the humanitarian concern of the Christian missionaries was later to be beclouded in political manouvres which led to the theory of the flag following the Bible in Africa'.
            Meanwhile the British Government had abolished slave trade in the then British Empire in 1833 while Freetown in Sierra-Leone was acquired in 1787 as a colony in which the liberated Africans could settle. Apart from the above, the revival of missionary movement in Britain had led to the founding of Baptist Missionary Society (1792), London Missionary Society (1795) and the Church Missionary Society (1799). Following their establishment, several of their missionaries moved into the field, with the slate in the left hand, and the Bible in the other, in this enterprise, sierra-Leone was to be the pivot of Christian Missionary excursions and incursions into several parts of West Africa.
Within a short time, some of the liberated-Africans had been converted and educated in the formal school system in Freetown. Some of them returned home particularly to Abeokuta in Ogun State to agitate for Christian Missionaries to bring to their people schools, which they considered to De the touch stone of civilization.
            It was, however, the Wesleyan Methodist. Society which had the distinctive honour of being the first Christian organization to arrive in Badagry in Lagos State of Nigeria, where they opened their   first   school.   On   24lh   September  1842,   the   Wesleyan Methodist Society sent Rev. Thomas Birch Freeman who was the superintendent of the Wesleyan Methodist Society in the Cape Coast to Badagry after a formal invitation by the Yoruba emigrants  from  Sierra-Leone who  had  spieled  in  Badagry.   Freeman was accompanied by Mr. de Graft an African born at Cape Coast with his wife.
            On December 19,1842, the Church Missionary Society represented by Mr. Henry Townsend arrived at Badagry-on his way to Abeokuta for data collection in preparation for missionary activities in Nigeria. After this initial exploratory visit of Rev. Townsend, he was accompanied by Rev. Samuel Ajayi Crowther     and Rev. C.A. Gollmer to Badagry in 1844 for Ihe purpose of establishing the Yoruba Mission. They wanted to use Abeokuta as their base, but could not get to Abeokuta that year because of the death of King Sodeke. They however built a church, a school and a mission house at Badagry. They moved to Abeokuta on 3rd August 1846 and founded two schools immediately, one for boys and the other for girls.
            In 1846, the Presbyterian Mission arrived at Calabar and established a "station while the Southern^ Baptist Convention opened a school at Ijaye in 1853. In 1855, the Southern Baptist Convention had founded a school at Ogbomoso and the first Baptist School in Lagos which became the nucleus of the Lagos Baptist Academy was founded. .
Meanwhile, after the British bombardment of Lagos in 1851 missionary work was extended to Lagos in January 1852 after formal invitation by John Beecroft the then British Consul of Lagos. The Church Missionary Society was represented by James White while John A. Martin represented the Wesleyan Mission. The Roman Catholic Mission soon made its impact felt in Lagos. With the arrival of Padre Anthonio, an emancipated slave who became a missionary, Catholic Missionary work started in earnest in Lagos By 1868, the Roman Catholic had founded its first school in Lagos since the earlier Portuguese Missionary activities.
            By 2857, the Niger Mission had been established by the Rev.   Samuel Ajayi Crowther and Rev. J.C.  Taylor Schools were immediately founded at Gbebe and Oriitsha.  In 1864, another school was opened at Idda followed by further ones at Akassa and Bonny.            

The Early Mission Schools and their Problems          
            The primary objective of the early Christian missionaries was to convert the natives to Christianity through education. The knowledge of the Bible, ability to sing hymns, recite catechisms and to communicate both orally and in writing were considered essential for a good Christian. As already observed, several missionary bodies, with their political, economic and denominational sympathies emerged during this period, working as hard as they could to establish as many schools as they could. It is important to note that each missionary -body operated its own educational system and financed its own educational project from = the meager resources available to its for government assistance was a thing of the future.
            In the process of implementing their educational policies, the Mission faced some of the stated problems.
1.         There were no central school laws and as a result there were no standards for running the schools.
2.         Varying administrative techniques were adopted for schools management.
3.         There were no standard qualifications for teachers.
4.         There were no regulations to guide the movement of teachers as well as the pupils, thus both teachers and pupils left school during      the school hours at will. Samuel Crowlher for example once complained about irregular attendance in his school at Onitsha         where the boys preferred to go about hunting birds, rats and         lizards.
5.         In all the schools, emphasis was on convention into Christianity and religious instruction remained the basic core of the school curriculum during the period. The education imparted was not         meant to transmit the Nigerian culture neither did it suit the        needs and aspirations of II10 society.
6.         There was inadequate finance. Many of the schools were        maintained by the local missions with occasional donations from abroad lack of adequate funds also affected the availability of          adequate qualified personnel. Some schools were maintained from        the Sunday collections. .
7.         There were no trained teaches and no training colleges. The lack       of fund coupled with the shortage of teachers led to the closure of some schools. For example, the Methodist was compelled to close down their Girls Grammar School in 1892 only to be reopened in 1912.
8.         In the early schools, there were not common syllabus to fellow and there were kick of standard text books. Many of the text books used were imported and were not relevant to environment of the pupils.
9.         There was lack of adequate supervision of schools including             building, teacher and subjects taught.
10.   There   was   no   central   exanimation   system   and   every      mission school bad her own standard.
11.   Micro was the problem o uniformity in the condition of vice of             teachers.   Teachers could   be   employed   and dismissed at will whilst salary depended on the wish of the head of the mission
12.       Must of the schools because of lack of teachers, used the        monitorial system, a system in which the older students wore made to teach the younger ones.
13.  The method of teaching was inadequate for note learning was    paramount at the period.
14.       The intense missionary rivalry in the southern part of Nigeria led to             uneven distribution of schools in Nigeria.
Colonial Government and Education in Nigeria
            The efflorescence of missionary endeavour, ironically, coincided with European interest in the commercial and political drive to -penetrate the interior of Nigeria. The dynastic quarrel in Lagos between Kosoko and Akintoye was exploited by the British Government and Lagos was then bombarded in 1851 as earlier mentioned, and by 30 July, 1861, Lagos was supposed to be ceded to the British Government which technically meant that Lagos city became a British colony. But this was purely a political penetration without educational responsibilities. The burden of providing education for me people of Lagos, and other areas which was not under the colonial flag was still shouldered by the missionaries.
            It was only in the year 1872 that, the colonial government" made available the sum of £30 to each of the three missionary societies involved in educational activities in Lagos- the C.M.S, the Wesleyan Methodist and the 'Catholic to support their educational activities. This marked the beginning of the system of grants-in-aid to education which formed the major educational financing policy of the colonial government. In 1877, the grant was increased to £200 per year for each of the three missions. The grants-in-aid remained at that amount until 1882.
            With this initial government contribution to the missionary education, the colonial government soon felt that he who paid the piper must dictate the tune. Ana as a result, by 1882, the first educational ordinance was passed regularizing the school system, and laying clown the condition for grants-in-aid.
The 1882 Education Ordinance
            Politically, between 1974 and 1086, Lagos and the Gold Coast were under one Colonial Administration with Accra as its headquarters. Thus the 1882 Educational Ordinance applied to both Lagos and Accra. The Ordinance which aimed at the control of education by government had the following provision.
1.         The constitution of a General Board of Education with power to appoint and          dissolve local Boards of Education at such places as they may consider        desirable.
2.         The constitution, powers and duties of the Local Board of Education.
3.         Classification of schools into:
(i)      Government schools which were maintained entirely by                                 public funds,
(ii)     Assisted schools established by private persons and aided                  from    public funds.     
4.         Freedom of parents as to religious instruction of their children.
5.         Grants to be used for school buildings and teachers' salaries. :
6.         Condition of grants-in-aid to private schools-based on managerial    control,          attendance of children and examination results in specified    subjects.
7.         Appointment of an inspector of schools for all the British West Africa. When        appointed the Inspector would spend most of his time   in the Gold Coast, while      Lagos would contribute one-third of the       inspector's fixed annual salary of             £400.
8.         Special grants to be made to industrial schools.
9.         Admission of pauper children into Government and assisted schools.
10.       Defining school curriculum to include Reading, Writing, English      Language, Arithmetic and Needlework for girls.
            In an effort to implement the 1882 Ordinance, Rev. Metealfe Sunfer, onetime Principal of Fourah Bay College, was appointed the first Inspector of School for West Africa. Except for the general awareness of the intention of Government to control the development and growth of schools in the Lagos settlement and its environment, the 1882 Education Ordinance achieved little success. This ordinance imitates too closely the English Elementary Education Act of 1870 which aimed at satisfying the needs of England at that time. The Board of Education and the Local Boards were wholesale importation of the English Board of Education and the School boards. These were unsuitable for Nigeria. It must be borne in mind tat during this period, England was already divided into administrative units suitable for school boards to function. The picture on the Gold Coast and in Nigeria was different for there was no structure comparable to that of England. The clause on religious instruction was inserted into the 1882 Ordinance as an imitation of the Cowper-Temple Clause of the English Education Act of 1878 which aimed at resolving the religious controversy among the English people. This could only have been in anticipation of religious differences in Nigeria and not with a view to resolving any denominational controversy. Apart from the Muslims, no parent bothered about the type of religious teaching in the school to which he sent his children.
            Apart from the above the curriculum was very much English and the medium of instruction was English, which was foreign to the colonial child.
            Furthermore, the proposed system of grants-in-aid was cumbersome and found unworkable and ridiculously complicated by Netcalf Sunter who was expected to administer the system. The restlessness of the nationalists and the desire of the colonial government to extend British influence into the hinterland led to the separation of Lagos form the Gold Coast Colony in 1886. a new Ordinance was then enacted and known as the Education Ordinance  of 1887. This ordinance was the first effective attempt by government to promote education and control the sporadic expansion of education by the mission. The area of operation of the Ordinance was the Colony of Lagos which comprised Lagos Island, Ebute-Metta, Yaba, Badagry-corresponding to the former Colony Province and now Lagos State of Nigeria. In 1887, the name Nigeria was not yet in existence and the area now known as Nigeria had not been defined.

The 1887 Education Ordinance                  
            The 1887 Education Ordinance for the Colony of Lagos could be regarded as the first of what might be called Nigerian Education Ordinance. It was a cautious but realistic ordinance that laid down certain principles which have become the foundation of the educational laws of Nigeria. The provision of the Ordinance included.
1.         The constitution of a Board of Education which would be composed of similar members as in the 1882 ordinance. This Central Board of Education was made up of the Governor as the Chairman members of the Legislative Council, four nominees of      the governor, and the inspector of schools.,
2.         The appointment of an Inspector of Schools (as in the former             Ordinance) and also the time, a sub-Inspector of schools and other           education officers.              
3.         Extension of grants-in-all to teacher training colleges and as previously to schools.
4.         Power of the Board to make, alter and revoke rules for regulating      the procedure of grants-in-aid.
5.         Empowering the governor to open up and maintain schools.
6.         Rates and conditions of grants-in-aid to infant schools, primary schools, secondary schools and industrial schools based partly on subjects taught and partly on the degree of excellence in the schools.
7.         Safeguards as to religious and racial freedom.
8.         Certification of teaches.
9.         Admission into an assisted school of pauper and alien children assigned to it’s by the Governor.
10.       Establishment of scholarship for secondary and technical education.
            The ordinance established the principle of partnership in education, which resulted in a dual system of education. The government supplemented the effort of the missions, voluntary agencies and individuals by grant –aiding their schools whilst at the same time establishing and maintaining its own schools where the mission and the voluntary supply was inadequate. The new Central Board of Education included members of the legislative council instead of those of the Executive Council in 1882 Board. Since the executive council consisted of the officials only, while the legislative was made up of both officials and non-officials, which should result it balanced deliberations.
            In addition, the provision against racial discrimination was welcomed by the nationalists who clamoured fro schools to be open to children without distinction of religion or race. Furthermore, the special grant to industrial schools was evidence of the attempt that was made to encourage manual and technical skill. For the first time government accepted some responsibility for secondary education by the provision of grants-in-aid to secondary schools and of scholarship for deserving primary school leavers. Government at the same time acknowledged the importance of teachers in an educational system as it was provided in the ordinance. Henceforth, teachers were to be trained, examined, awarded certificate and to receive stipulated salaries. Thus, the Ordinance was shaping a profession for teachers.
            Furthermore 1987, the provision in the Ordinance empowering the Governor to establish Government schools showed that Government has accepted her responsibility to educate the citizens of the state irrespective of their circumstances of birth.
            The effect of the 188 Ordinance was a gradual expansion of school education into Yoruba land by the C.M.S the Wesley Methodist, the Roman Catholic Mission and to a les extent the American Baptist Mission. The Presbyterian Mission with its headquarters at Old Calabar was propagating general and industrial education along (he banks of the Oil River. In 1809, Dr. Henry Carr, a Nigerian was appointed the Sub-Inspector of school for the Colony and  Protectorate  of Lagos.   In 1891, he was promoted Deputy Inspector and the following year, he became Her, Majesty's Inspector of schools for the Colony of Lagos Henry Carr during his tenure to office, advocated for Government control of, schools. He did advocate for greater Government financial support for the schools to make control easy. The Muslim communities in Lagos protested against the neglect of the' Muslim children and this gave rise Co the establishment of the fist Government School in Lagos for (he financial support which children of (heir Christian counterparts had received in their mission schools. The 1916 Education Ordinance
The area now known as Nigeria which was governed by the British Colonial Administration as two separate Protectorates became one administrative unit in 1914. With the amalgamation of the Colony and the protectorate of Southern Nigeria with the protectorate of Northern Nigeria in -1-914. The former Governor of the Northern Protectorate  Lord Frederick Lugard was appointed Governor General of Nigeria.
            On his assumption of office as Governor-General, Lord Lugard made his criticisms of the education system in both the South and the North public. Although he wanted a unified education policy for the country, he nevertheless set up two Boards of Education each to take care of the two distinctive areas that have been amalgamated. Lord Lugard diagnosed the problems of Nigeria's -educational system and recommended solutions immediately. His recommendations were however met with opposition by both the missions and the colonial office but they were later included in an Educational Ordinance of 1916. the •  1916 Education Ordinance was approved on 21 December 1916 y while Educational Code were the attempt-of Lord Lugard to provide for the whole country, education based on good character and usefulness to individuals and the society at large. Whereas the Ordinance applied to the whole country, the code applied to the1 Southern Province only. ; The 1916 Ordinance and code had five major objectives:
1.         Training on the formation of character and habits of    discipline.
2.         Co-operation between Government and Missions.
3.         Rural as well as Urban Education.
4.         Increase in the number of literate Nigerians to meet the increasing    demand for clerks and similar officials
5.         A measure of Government control over all schools including non-    assisted schools.
            The major achievements of the Ordinance were its coverage of the whole country, the increased financial participation of government, in the schools, co-operation between the government and the mission and a measure of Government control over education as a whole.
            The code on the other hand simplified grants-in-aids. The regulations of the code prescribed that the grants to assisted schools shall no longer be awarded on the basis of an annual examination in certain set subjects but rather on a frequent inspection and examination extending through the school year. The percentage which determined the amount' of giants were classified thus:
1.         Tone of the school, discipline organization and moral instruction 30%.
2.         Adequate and efficiency of the teaching staff 20%.
3.         Periodical examinations and general progress 40%
4.         Buildings, equipment, sanitation 10%.
            Another remarkable achievement of the code was the-right to inspect or obtain information from non assisted schools which were already increasing in the Southern Province. The code in addition stipulated the age limit of pupils in 'the infant classes as well as in the elementary school system. No child above the age of thirteen should be allowed in the infant class while children above the age of twenty years should not be permitted to slay in the elementary school. The code also granted Religious Instruction as an examinable subject. Prior to this period, Religious Instruction could be taught in the assisted schools but could not be examined. This section of the code was highly acceptable to the missions who regarded religious instruction a- t!-e central point of their educational endeavour. The Phelps- Stokes Commission on Education in Africa.
            The Phelps- stokes commission on education in Africa, also known as the Africa Education commission was established on the initiative of the American Baptist foreign missionary society of make a comprehensive enquiry into the needs and resources of . Africa with particular regard to the quantity and quality of education being provided. It was financed by the Phelps- stokes fund. The commission was appointed early in 1920 and consisted of persons who had direct experience of Negro education or whose experience was of relevance to Africa education. The commission was set up to;
a.         Inquire into the education work being done at present in each of the areas to the studies.
b.         Look into the education needs of the people in the light of the religious, social, hygienic and economic condition;
 c.        As certain to what extent these needs a are being met;
d.         Make available in full the results of this study.
            The commission visited Nigeria and some other counties and it's report titled "Education in Africa" was published in 1922.lt identified certain misconception about the continent of Africa and its people which appeared to hinder economic development for the continent and the provision of education for her people. It observed that contrary to the opinion held in Europe, there was sufficient evidence of potential wealth to encourage capital investment in Africa. It also pointed out that it was unfair and unfortunate to hold the   opinion   that   Africans   did   not   give   sufficient   promise   of development. It also did not concede to the doubt cast on the improvability of the Africans people.
            On this the commission noticed that people like Isaac Oiuwole, Henry Carr, Eric Moore, Bishop James Johnson, Herbert Macaulay and a host of others all of whom had received university or professional education and were doing quite creditably confirmed the improvability of Africans.
            The Phelps-stokes commission strongly recommended the adoption of education to the need of the individual and the community. If observed that this principle which was being strongly emphasized by American and British educator in respect of their counties was also desirable for African pointed out that much of the indifference and opposition to education in African was due to the failure to relate school work to Africa situations and that school methods which had become obsolete in America and Europe were still novelties in African. The commission also condemned the situations where all group responsible for education in colonial Africa had differing conception of education a situation which led to differing goals for education. It therefore recommended clearly defined objectives of education which according to it should be namely the development of character, the promoting of health and healthy living acquisition of agricultural and industries skill and improvement of family life.
            The commission also lamented that many of the short­coming of education systems in the past were due to lack of organization and supervision, It therefore recommended that government and religious missions in Africa should adopt and apply sound principles of administration, in the area of supervision and inspection of their educational enterprises, ft also pointed out the neglect of the education of the masses and of native leadership.
            The Africa Commission on Education had a remarkable impact on educational development in Nigeria and rest of Africa. It was the first true commission on education in Nigerian and its thoroughness accuracy of observation and the comprehensiveness of its scope laid emulative precedence for other commission which were to play remarkable role in the development of education in Nigeria in the 1940s and year before and after independence. Secondly,' its recommendation that educational development should include the attempt to bring different patterns of education into a system to broaden the curriculum (from its literary outlook) different institution within the uniform system were responsible for the ripples which brought tremendous development of education in Nigeria in the late 1920s and 1940s. Thirdly, many of the recommendation of the commission are still valid and relevant today particularly in the area of making education relevant to the needs of the people.
            Finally, the Phelps-stokes commission virtually forced the British Colonial Government to issue the'1925 memorandum on education in British Colonial territories -its first policy document on African Education. 1 his eventually led to the 1926 education al Ordinance in Nigeria which gave order and direction to educational development and laid a foundation for an educational system.

The 1925 Memorandum on Education in British Colonial Territories
            The Phelps-Stokes Commission reports geared the British colonial Government to demonstrate its interest in African education by issuing its first educational policy in 1925. The memorandum set out the principle on which the educational system of the colonies should be based. Its content consisted mainly of the proposals of the Phelps- Stokes commission. These among others included.
1.         The establishment advisory boards of education to help supervise    all educational institutions.
2.         Adaptation of education to local conditions.
3.         The study of the educational use of the vernaculars, 
4.         Thorough supervision and inspection of schools,
5.         Education of women and girls as an integral element in the whole     educational system.
6.         Regard for religious training and moral instruction as fundamental   to the development of a sound education and should, therefore be           accorded equality with secular subjects.
            The 1925 Memorandum on Education in the British Colonies had three primary characteristics; The Phelps-Stokes Commission reports geared the British Colonial Government to demonstrate its interest in African education by issuing its first educational policy in 1925. The memorandum set out the principles on which the educational systems of the colonies should be based. Its content consisted mainly of the proposals of the Phelps-Strokes Commission. These among others included:
1.         The establishment of advisory boards of education to help     supervise all educational institutions.
2.         Adaptation of education to local conditions.
3.         The study of the educational use of the vernaculars.
4.         Thorough supervision and inspection of schools.
5.         Education of women and girls as an integral element in the whole     educational system.
6.         Regard for religious training and moral instructions as fundamental             to the- development of a sound education and should, therefore be        accorded equality with secular subjects.
            The 1925 Memorandum on Education in the British Colonies had,    three primary characteristics:
(i)        It was the first statement of intentions of the colonial government     on African education since 1842 when Western Education was          introduced in Nigeria.
(ii)       It was an outcome of the Phelps-Stoles report which brought into light the apathy of colonial government to the education and the incompetence of the Christian missions in the field of       education:
(iii)     The policy document was a complete adoption of the Phelps-Stokes report on education in Africa, which was published in 1922. This memorandum, more than any other piloted Nigeria educational             policy and development from 1925to 1945.
           
            The 1926 Education Code and the Hedge- Schools The task of translating the  1925 education policy into reality in Nigeria  was  that  of  Sir   Hugh   Clifford,   the  Governor,   Clifford identified the poor quality of education and the mushroom growth of schools   as   the  two   major  defects   in   Nigerian  educational system.   He   therefore   proposed   more   financial   provision for-education and a control of the educational development. The outcome of his efforts at achieving these was the Education (Colony and Southern Provinces) Ordinance No 15 of 1926. the ordinance provided.
1.         For registration of all teachers as a condition for teaching in any school in the Colony and Southern provinces.
2.         That new schools could be opened only after approval by the Director of Education and the Board of Education.
3.         The closing of the school conducted in a manner detrimental to the interest of the community where it is sited.
4.         For the definition of the functions and duties of supervisors.  
5.         For the strengthening of the Board of Education to consist of the Director, and the Deputy Director of Education, the Assistance Director, ten representatives of the mission and other   educational               agencies  and   re-defining   the   board's' functions to include            advice to the government on educational matters.
6.         For regulating minimum pay for teachers in the assisted school.

            The main object of the 1926 Education Ordinance was to curb the development of mushroom schools or hedge schools. Such schools had grown so rapidly that even the missions which were responsible- for most of them could not exorcise adequate control over them. The Ordinance also aimed at improving the quality of the teachers, providing schools with experienced leadership and guidance, creating a conducive atmosphere for realistic co-operation between missions, other voluntary agencies and local communities, and generally supplying the educational needs of the individuals and communities in Nigeria.
            However, while the 1926 code attempted, to some extent, to" curb  the   indiscriminate   establishment   of   new schools, the expansion of the school system continued relatively uncontrolled, it was a time when the people considered education as opportunity for good employment and good livelihood.  The proliferation continued, till 1930 when the whole world, was 'hit by economic depression and the subsequent scarcity of money and materials.

Amalgamation of the Education Departments of the Northern and Southern Provinces, 1929.
            Lugard's vigorous but unsuccessful attempts to unify the two educational system of the north and south were brought into reality in July 1929 when the Education Departments of both Northern and Southern provinces were merged under a new Director of Education, Mr. E.R.J. Hussey, who was in office until 1936.
            When Hussey became Director of Education, lie reviewed the entire educational system a/id then proposed certain reforms. He contemplated a gradual growth of education within fifty to one hundred years which would allow not only a logical increase of school facilities for the masses, but a/so a gradual Improvement of the standard of higher education at the top. He therefore, proposed three levels of education for Nigeria.
(i)        The six-year primary education course which prior to this period,    had been eight-year course) with the local language as the medium of communication or instruction. This level of education was to emphasize agriculture, hygiene, handicraft and interest in the local environment
(ii)       The secondary level was also to be a six year course after which most pupils would leave in search for employment in various fields.
(iii)     The third stage,  called vocational higher education would provide   for vocational courses that would eventually rise to the standard of a British University.

            It was this idea of the third stage that later led to the establishment of the Yaba Higher College. Though the idea of the college was conceived in 1930, it was nd! until 1932 that the college was opened to students. Hussey proposed the appointment of Africans as school supervisors. He also proposed refresher or in-service courses to enable teachers already in service to acquaint themselves with the new syllabus.
            However, as good intentioned these proposals were, they were affected by the economic depressions of the 1930s which seriously affected the government finances and causes serious set-backs in government financial expenditure.
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