Any society’s ability to grow and endure depends heavily on education. During the British colonial era in the country, their presence impacted the shift from non-formal Education to formal institutions. The British instituted essentialist education to advance colonisation operations and meet the moment’s demands. Nigeria’s learning system was greatly influenced by colonialism, a foreign nation’s rule and management of a colony, from the late 19th century until the country’s independence in 1960. The country’s learning system’s design and operations today reflect colonialism’s long-lasting effects.
During the colonial period, the British imposed their learning system on the nation, intending to train a workforce that would serve the needs of the colonial administration. This system was designed to produce individuals who would serve as clerks, civil servants, and other functionaries of the colonial government. As a result, schools in the country became focused on producing a small elite class of individuals who were educated in Western ways and who served the interests of the colonial powers.
British marginalised and devalued native knowledge and languages.
The country’s primary colonial legacy in school is the preference for Western schools over local learning approaches. The British attempted to replace native knowledge systems with their own marginalised and devalued the nation’s languages, traditions, and ways of knowing. As a result, many people felt disconnected from traditional knowledge and lost their sense of cultural identity. The unequal distribution of academic assets was another effect of colonialism on the country’s academia due to the British establishment of schools in urban regions and neglect of rural communities, class and geography.
Also, the lack of access to quality schools for marginalised and rural groups is still an ongoing issue in the nation. In addition, the nation’s colonial school system was incredibly discriminatory and hierarchical. Indigenous people were frequently excluded from colleges and universities and forced into low-wage or menial employment, which perpetuated the inequalities that still exist in society today. The ongoing gaps in opportunities for learning and attainment amongst various sections of the nation’s society are a clear reminder of the legacy of colonial schools.
FG set up the Ministry of Education to supervise school advancement.
Following colonialism, the nation faced many challenges to learning, including insufficient finance, a lack of infrastructure, and differences regarding learning chances across various social classes and geographical areas. To address these problems, the federal government created the Ministry of Education to supervise the advancement of the learning system. Likewise, several institutional groups have substantially raised the nation’s school standards. One such group is the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), which finances and offers technical support to national learning programmes.
Through its support and specialised knowledge in several fields, the British Council was instrumental in the post-colonial growth of learning in the country. The British Council worked with the federal government to strengthen Teacher training programmes, raising the standard of instruction in schools. They also helped create updated and pertinent courses to accommodate students’ changing demands. Through expanding access to resources for learning, the British Council aimed to equip the nation’s educators and students further to confront the difficulties created by colonisation and work towards improving the country’s school system.
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Finally, colonialism had a complicated and wide-ranging effect on the country’s literacy. The establishment of regulated schools and the training of professionals were two positive outcomes, but there were many bad ones, such as the marginalisation of indigenous knowledge, the unequal distribution of learning resources, and the maintenance of social hierarchies. It is imperative to comprehend these legacies to solve the country’s learning system’s issues and move towards a more inclusive and fair learning environment.