CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY EDUCATION IN IGBOLAND AND IMPLICATIONS OF GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER OF MISSION SCHOOLS, 1857-1975

Abstract

Christian missionary education in Igboland, spanning from 1857 to 1975, profoundly influenced the Eastern region's social and cultural society. At the arrival of Christian missionaries, they found out that for the gospel to have its free course in the lives of the Igbo people, there is need to introduce Western education that is Christian oriented. They made efforts to establish mission schools. Christian missionary education instilled discipline and made moral behaviour the utmost priority. It further equipped students with technical/entrepreneurship skills and sound knowledge which made them contribute meaningfully to societal development. Furthermore, Western education made emphasis on literacy and religious instruction which facilitated the spread of Christianity and fostered new elite. However, immediately after the Nigerian-Biafra civil war (1967-1970), the federal military government took over mission schools in Old Eastern Region. This led to fallen standard of education and other negative impacts on the region. The governments take over led to secularization and also brought about diminished moral instruction and administrative inefficiencies. The transition highlighted tensions between religious and state control of education thereby impacting educational quality and cultural identity in Igboland. Many works have focused on the efforts of various Christian missionary bodies in development of Western education in Igboland, without an in-depth study on government takeover of mission schools and its effects on the standard of education as well as its impact on the Old Eastern region. This is the gap which this research intends to fill. The research methodology employed is mainly secondary source of data collection such as journals, mainline books, book of readings, newspaper, and unpublished project works related to the study under review. The study finds out that the standard of education was much better when it was under the control of the Christian missionaries than when the federal military government took over education from them. Therefore this research concludes by recommending that traditional Igbo cultural teachings and Christian moral values should be incorporated into school curriculum; also government schools should partner between religious organizations and government schools in order to maintain ethical and moral education