British colonist can first be seen in England as early at 1885. The Berlin Conference in 1885 divided East African territories to different European Powers (Kenya). After the East African Protectorate in 1895, white settlers opened up land for white settlers. The British government declared Kenya a British colony in 1920 but their presence was seen long before then. With help from the African Protectorate white, British peoples started to colonize Kenya. At first education was not a main priority to the British government. “During the period of sporadic and unorganized development in British East Africa government planning for native education cannot be detected” (Beck). The first colonizers in Kenya, main intent was not education or conversion, strictly civilizations. Eliot in the African Protectorate states that “East Africa is the greatest philanthropic achievement of the later nineteenth century… [There is] immense progress made in rendering the civilization of the Africans.” (Eliot). “The administration of the Protectorate consisted of fifteen departments in 1903, and not a single one was directly concerned with education”. Education, to the British Government was not of importance until after Kenya became a British colony in 1920. Therefore, education was left to the missionaries flourishing throughout Europe. Missions has full control over what was taught, therefore educations was based off religion. Therefore, now British peoples were not only intending to civilize the Africans but convert them to specific religions as well. These two central themes of civilizing Africans to western “white culture” and converting to Christianity show us the racial superiority seen through history of the Imperialist British Empire in the 19th century.
Original Intent of Missionary Schools:
With or without help from the British Government help, missionary schools had two main goals; conversion and civilizing. There were smaller intentions of the British that were stepping stones to the larger goal of these two main ideas.. All schools focused on the “4Rs” of education; reading, writing, arithmetic's, and religion, however in the early stages of mission schools in Kenya “little was done… to stress the importance of education for its own sake” (Fredrick). Mission schools were also promoting vocational education because “though vocational education, idleness, laziness and helplessness which Africans were said to be suffering form could be eradicated” (Fredrick). Another being to increase the number of Christian followers. Mission schools taught Africans to read and write, so they could then spread the “Good News” to other African who were not attending schools. As well as read the scripture themselves to fully engage and eventual convert fully to the Christian faith. All of these teachings were used to reach the end goal of conversion and civilizing.
Africans Reactions:
Africans response to British presence within Kenyan is mixed, but sways mostly towards seeing the European influence as a nuisance and a creation of huge hardships. We see this further along in history with the creation of the Mau-Mau and other rebel groups. Enthusiasm for European colonization and mission schools were for the reason of creation of opportunity for employment (Fredrick). It was Africa's first opportunity for formal education, therefore Africans say not only opportunity for education but for economic, social advancement opportunities within the new colonial communities (Fredrik). However, the majority of native peoples in Africa met European attempt to civilize and convert as “dislike, and suspicions” (Fredrik). Most tribes felt as if Europeans were attempting to take away their culture and practices (they were). Tribes started to question and challenge the missions. Native peoples “after their experience in Christian missions schools, the inhabitants of this area wanted non-denominational institutions with adequate literary content which they trusted could enable them to be equal terms with other races”. Since the beginning there has been pressure and challenge against the Christian missionaries and British influence intent of mission schools.
Maseno School and Success
Maseno School was one of the first mission schools in Kenya. Founded by Rev J.J Willis in 1906, this national school was the first opportunity in Kavirondo for formal education. To this day, this school is an elite, national school with focuses on an evangelical curriculum. In its starting days, only sons of chiefs were being educated. Maseno school is no different that the broader mission schools that this paper had dug into. Maseno school main goals were conversion and civilizing. According to an original newsletter from Maseno school in 1928 states “The first work of the school is to teach the good news… It is by Jesus Christ alone that the people of Africa will become great and united and powerful” (Empire). Another example from the newsletter is this testimonial being recited by a Reverend of the school.
“A senior boy said one day, “Doctor, I think I have learned one thing in school. There is a boy I always hated. He was always making mischief and telling lies about me. I meant to kick him and waited for my chance. I was full of black thoughts. Then somehow I remembered the chapel teaching that when we wanted to kick a boy we had to forgive him and make life jolly for somebody else. I trie’d this and all my black thoughts went away”
This passage proves that Maseno school was successful in converting young African boys to Christianity and believing their teaching of Christianity, but also convinced their students the their “blackness” was not civilized. For they had to force away their “black thoughts”. These “black thoughts” are anything negative. In this passage its wanting to beat on another student for spreading rumors of him. They were taught that anything bad is “black” and white is good.
Overall, mission schools and specifically the Maseno School in Kenya shows the British intentions of colonizing Africa; conversion and civilization. The British “civilizing mission” could be seen at the very first arrival of Europeans in Kenya. It only intensified as Christian missionaries incorporated education and vocational studies into their missions. Mission schools are an example of how these two themes work hand in hand to show British intent in Kenya.
Primary
Empire Online, http://www.empire.amdigital.co.uk/Documents/Details/Maseno School 1928
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Eliot, Charles. The East Africa Protectorate. London: Arnold , 1905.
Guidelines for staff. Moseno Central [[school]]. 1930. Available through: Adam Matthew,
Marlborough, Empire Online, http://www.empire.amdigital.co.uk/Documents/Details/Guidelines for staff Moseno Central school 1930 [Accessed April 26, 2018].
Kenya [[Missionary]] Council-Report of the Committee on Educational Policy. 1940.
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Speaks to colonists policy for native education
[[Native]] [[Education]] in Africa, Vischer. 1929. [Report]. At: Place: The National
Archives. CO 1045/253. Available through: Adam Matthew, Marlborough, Empire Online, http://www.empire.amdigital.co.uk/Documents/Details/Native Education in Africa Vischer 1929 [Accessed April 03, 2018].
Secondary
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