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One Hundred Years of Education in Nigeria: Early Childhood Care and Development Education in the Colonial and Post-Colonial Periods

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One Hundred Years of Education in Nigeria: Early Childhood Care and Development Education in the Colonial and Post-Colonial Periods Scholarly Journal of Education Vol. 4(1), pp. 6-12, February 2015 Available online at http:// www.scholarly-journals.com/SJE ISSN 2315-6155 © 2015 Scholarly-Journals Full Length Research Paper One Hundred years of Education in Nigeria: Early childhood care and development Education in the Colonial and Post-Colonial periods Amakievi Okien Ijeoma Gabriel Institute of foundation studies Rivers state University of Science and Technology, Nkpolu Oroworukwo, P.M.B. 5080, Port Harcourt. Email: [email protected]. Abstract 16 February, 2015 Early childhood care development and education is a universal phenomenon that is practiced globally. In modern times it has become a part of the formal education system of some countries such as the United States and Finland. There are many other countries that provide it but have not integrated it into the formal educational system such as Australia, New Zealand, China, France, Germany, and so on. This study examined the development of Early Childhood Care Development and Education (ECCDE) in Nigeria in the past one hundred years, 1914 to 2014. Data for the study were generated from primary and secondary sources and they were quite revealing. ECCDE delivery has been controlled by non-governmental organizations and private individuals since 1914 in Nigeria. Faith based non-governmental organizations dominated in this area during the colonial period but private individuals have a formidable presence since the post-colonial period. Government made unsuccessful attempts at establishing and sustaining ECCDE centres but has continued to play a regulatory role. However, there is no uniformity in the curriculum, quality of teachers, equipment, facilities, teacher/pupil ratio, fees and activities among these ECCDE providers. Government is not committed to funding them in any form. The demand for ECCDE is high particularly in the urban and semi=-urban centres even though it is not yet a part of the formal school system. There is a strong and widespread awareness of the need for ECCDE among Nigerians within these one hundred years. Key words: Early childhood, Education, Colonial and Post-Colonial. INTRODUCTION Early Childhood Care and Development Education while in 1828 the countess Theresa Brunszvik founded (ECCDE) in Nigeria predates the colonial and post- one in Hungary. Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi in colonial periods when we reckon with the traditional Switzerland, his pupil Friedrich Froebel in Germany and ECCDE practices among all human groups before the Maria Montessori in Italy were among those whose ideas introduction of the formal type in the nineteenth century. and practices also influenced the development of ECCDE is a universal phenomenon in all human ECCDE. Friedrich Froebel’s Play and Activity Institute for societies and signifies the need to give special care for young children which was established in 1837 was the development of children from birth and throughout renamed the kindergarten (German word for Garden) the early formative years of their development. Members that is, garden for children in 1840. From then, many of the family, women in particular and siblings had the such schools were named kindergartens. responsibility of providing ECCDE from birth to six years From Germany, one of the teachers who Froebel of their development. trained established the first “England Infant Garden” Formal pre-school (ECCDE) education originated from Hampstead, England in 1851. In 1856 it spread to Water the ideas and practices of Robert Owen who established Town, Wisconsin, United States by Margarethe Meyer an infant school in New Lanark, Scotland in 1816. Schurz who established the first kindergarten. In 1859 Samuel Wilderspin established one in London in 1819 Elizabeth Peabody established the first English speaking Amakievi 7 kindergarten in Boston, Massachusetts, United States (Fafunwa, 1974; Taiwo, 1980 and Igwe, 1987). The ages (New World Encyclopedia, n.d). of children in these infant classes varied from six to ECCDE is practiced globally but it is worrisome that fourteen years. Children had to place their hands across the Christian Missions did not establish it in Nigeria and their heads to touch their ears before they qualified for that the colonial government did not include it in the admission (Gabriel, 2014) educational system. Their interest in developing primary Administrative changes that took place as well as new education and much later secondary schools re-affirms Education Codes that were enacted did not positively their exploitative disposition to produce low level influence the establishment of ECCDE schools and they manpower that would facilitate their economic include the following: exploitation of Nigeria. However, this paper discusses the development of formal ECCDE in Nigeria since - 1903 establishment of an Education Department for the 1914. Specifically, the following would be considered: Protectorate of Southern Nigeria. - 1903 Education Code for the Protectorate of Southern - How and why did this formal ECCDE develop? Nigeria - What has been the practice in ECCDE delivery during - 1906 amalgamation of the Colony and Protectorate of the period under study, 1914 to 2014? Lagos with the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria - What forces have also influenced the provision of - 1908 Education Code for the whole of Southern Nigeria ECCDE since 1914? - 1914 amalgamation of the colony and Protectorate of - What is the future of ECCDE? Northern Nigeria and the existence of their two hitherto separate departments of Education The Development of Formal ECCDE: The Colonial - 1916Education Code Period - 1925 Memorandum on Education - 1926 Education Code The care and education of children from birth to six - 1930 Memorandum and the restructuring of elementary years (in Nigeria) before they commence further school education to six years of primary school classes education in primary schools is referred to as ECCDE. It and the elimination of the three infant classes that caters for a child’s social, physical, emotional and reduced elementary school education from eight years to intellectual development and education. Formal ECCDE six years. is provided in educational institutions such as the - 1945 United African Company (UAC) established crèche, nursery and kindergarten with structured nursery school at Alinso OKanu (Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni curriculum, specially trained teachers, facilities and Local Government Area, Rivers State) then a part of equipment for each of the three groups. The crèche Southern Nigeria for children of its staff (Gabriel, 2012). caters for children from six months to two years but in Though a remarkable achievement in ECCDE principle, it is from birth to two years. The nursery is for development in a remote rural community the children children between the ages of two and four years while were of mixed ages with many of them above six years the kindergarten is for children who are five years old of age. and are ready to transit to primary schools at age six. - The 1948 Education Ordinance, the first education Apart from many specific advantages of ECCDE Ibiam legislation that covered the whole country. (2011) noted that UNESCO in 2009 broadly stated that - The introduction of the Universal Primary Education this early form of education gives young children (UPE) in Western and Eastern Nigeria in 1955 and 1957 adequate conditions to survive, develop and learn to respectively. enhance their chances to become successful at school and to be adults well prepared for life. The third schedule of the Eastern Region Education Law Formal western type of education in Nigeria started in of 1956 provided for nursery education which now 1842 by Christian Missions (Fafunwa, 1974 and Taiwo, became a part of the education system. It stated that 1980) and was provided for the children and adult nursery classes refer to classes held at a nursery school converts. Unfortunately, ECCDE did not commence and for children of two years (Eastern Region Gazette, was not encouraged by the Christian Missions or private 1956). Infant classes now became part of primary individuals who established schools in any part of schools for children of five plus and six years. Nigeria. However, literature on the history of education Children were to be taught good physical habits and to reflects the existence of infant classes/schools because be socially co-operative. The curriculum included games, the 1887 Ordinance (a purely Nigerian Education stories, simple handiwork, painting and such activities Ordinance enacted as a result of the separation of Lagos suitable to the age of the children (Eastern Region and its hinterland from Gold Coast in 1886) provided Gazette, 1956). This law did not provide for teachers grants for infant classes one to three which were part of who were specially trained for children in nursery the re-organized elementary education classes. Others schools. Who then were teachers in the nursery schools were two junior and four senior primary classes in Eastern Nigeria? Where were they trained and who 1 Scholarly J. Educ., 8 certified them? Again, it is worthy to note that Corona 1. encourage private efforts in the provision of pre- Women Society (CWS) established the Corona School, primary education; Ikoyi Day Nursery in 1955 in present day Lagos State. 2. provide Teacher Training Institutions for student C.W.S. is a non- governmental women organization that teachers who wanted to specialize in pre-primary comprised of British, Irish and Nigerian women who education worked on voluntary
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