History of Education in NigeriaOriginally 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. |
From inside the book
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... 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 ...
... 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 ...
... 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 ...
... . The African child, unlike the European child, has unlimited access to the stimulating world of African music and dance. He needs no teacher or specialist to teach Seven Cardinal Goals of Traditional African Education Physical training.
... needs of childhood; and thirdly, competitive games which test the physical, intellectual, and social qualities of the individual.'2 Thus through play or games the African child develops physical assets which will serve him in good stead ...
Contents
Past and Present | |
The Coming of the Missionaries | |
The Beginnings of Modern Education 18821929 | |
Educational Expansion 19301950 | |
The Era of SelfDetermination in Education 19511970 | |
The Nigerian Educational System | |
Representative sample of posts | |
Contemporary Issues | |
1948 and b List of Voluntary Agencies Running Schools in 1964 | |
Negotiating Council for Teachers | |
Tables showing Primary School Secondary School Technical and Vocational | |
Bibliography | |