| dc.description.abstract | In this thesis it has been argued that since man
learns fro. past experience, the study of history of
education is an important subject in the study of
Educational foundation. It is therefore important that the
educational work of missionary bodies in Kenya should
be studied to give the link between the past and the
pr sent. It has also been pointed out that many times
some people Africans and Europeans alike have expressed
the opinion that b for the coming of Europeans to Western
Kenya (and Kenya in general) there was no education. This
is not true for from time immemorial the Western Kenyans
had their own systems through which their accumulated
experience were transmitted from one generation to another.
What is true is that except for very few cases the Africans'
method of education were largely informal.
The coming of Europeans to e tern Kenya at the
beginning of ,the 20th Century radically altered the Africa _t
social, political and economic set up. As a result the
traditional arrangements could no longer effectively prepare
" -Africans for life in the new society. Because of this and
also because of the fact that African traditional education
was unsuitable for European purposes, new ways of meeting the
Changed circumstances had to be found. The European missionaries
who included C.M.S., et these challenges by setting up ,
formal Schools after the European pattern. In doing this
(v)
the Christian missions laid the foundations on which
the present Kenya system of education is built. Gradually
the C.M.S. pioneered in Teacher Training and Secondary
School work in western Kenya. In the process they built, in
the same area, Maseno, one of the most important secondary
schools in Kenya.
As the society participated in education and
throughout the relevant period) stressed religion as an
educational aim in their primary, secondary and T.T.C. survival
of the Church of England by in eased membership
was a major consideration. This had the important result of
influencing the type of curricular the C.M.S. offered
in their schools and Teachers Training Colleges. The C.M.S.
ensured that besides paying attention to what they believed
was the b at form of education and government requirements,
they also offered the type of education required by Africans
So that they would attract the Africans to their schools
and ultimately to the Church of England. Due to a variety
of reasons the Africans of Western Kenya between 1905 and 1963
preferred literary education to a largely practical one. Because
of this C.M.S. for the most part, especially after 1930, while
not neglecting the practical curriculum largely literary
curriculum.
Therefore the current popular accusation that Christian
Missions in collaboration with the colonial administration
intentionally refused to give the Africans practical
(vi)
and vocational training and therefore they are solely
responsible for the current lack of skill d manpower in
independent Kenya is unfounded.
Besides it has been argued that the C.M.S.
provided examples (good and bad) in several other aspect
of education. For instance they stressed a religious
approach to education, called for common as opposed to
denominational school leaving examinations, helped to
formulate better selection procedures for those who
would continue with higher education and. together with
other Protestant missionary societies enhanced girls'
education by encouraging from an early date, co-education
in the primary and intermediate Schools. Because of these
and many other instance pointed out in the text, it has
been concluded that between 1905 and 1963.The C.M.S.
made significant contributions to education in Western
Kenya. | |
