A HISTORY OF GBARAIN-OWEI GRAMMER SCHOOL FROM 1975-2014

CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
Background to the Study
Statement of the Problem/Aim of the Statement
Objective of the study/Aim of the Research
Research Questions
Scope of the study
Operational Definition of
Terms References

ABSTRACT

This work is essentially on “A History of Gbarain-owei Grammer School Okolobiri, Ogboloma,

1975-2014”. The research critically examined the origin and development of the school from its
inception that is 1975 to 2014. This is because of the fact that the year 1975 was when the school
was established and 2014 was the period of my set class 2008-2014 in the history of the school
and Gbarain clan in general. Indeed, the aim of this research is to reconstruct the origin and
development of the school, reason why the school was established and located in Ogboloma
town. The work further analyzes the educational, socio-economic and political contributions of
the school. This research used primary, secondary and tertiary sources of historical
reconstruction. Additionally, the research examines with some of the challenges facing the
school and possible way forward.
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
1.1 Background to the Study

In general, the role of education in the development and transformation of human societies all
over the world in the course of history cannot be overemphasized. This is because it is the wheel
and hub which have propelled development and transformed the world to in all spheres.
Education is important and central for societal development. Education has been the force behind
the progress of all cultures and civilizations. However, western style of education came to “Ma”
in the 20th century. This led to series of changes and development that transformed the society of
“Ma”, even though it has its own limitations.

The history of western education in Nigeria could be traced to the activities of the Christian
missionaries in the Southern parts of the country in the 1840s. That was when the European
Christian missions made their first successful and enduring incursions into the territories
bordering the Atlantic Ocean in the South. As a result of the efforts made by the missionaries as
well as the role played by the then Governor General of Nigeria named Frederick Lugard in the
development of western education in Nigeria has impact in the contemporary Nigeria educational
system. However, the missionary program of educating the natives was consequently restricted
initially to the limited objective of producing marginally literate Nigerians, preferably literate
only in their own mother tongues. The main concern of the mission schools was to produce
school masters who were to graduate as catechists, deacons and then priest. The missionary
education constitutes their fundamental contribution to the civilization of southern Nigeria. The
missionaries were pioneers of education in Nigeria. Akinwumi
(1988) asserts that:

The early schools in Nigeria were funded,

managed and staffed by Christian agencies. The
primary objective of the missionaries was to
convert the people to Christianity through
education. The schools were Crowther’s
 principal method of evangelization. All good
missionaries made it their duty to convert the
children willy-nilly through education. Thus the
beginning of education in Nigeria is traceable to
Christian missionaries. (p. 60).

western education in Southern Nigeria was

not fully successful in the 19th century, considering the failure of the foreign Christian missions
to make a significant educational impact on the Muslim emirates of the north but that of the
South-South of Nigeria It is imperative to note that most of South-south Nigeria had a long
tradition of literacy, which was dated back to about nine hundred years before colonial conquest.
Niger delta which is part of South-South Nigeria had been recognized since the 17th century as a
seat of learning as it produced prominent scholars like Muhammad b. al-Sabbagh bn Muhammad
al-Kasnawi al-Arabi popularly known as Dan Marina, Muhammad b. Masani (Dan Masanih)
among others who were famous in the knowledge of Qur’an, Hadith (tradition of the prophet
Muhammad S.A.W), Islamic law, Arabic Grammar, poetry, History, Philosophy, Astronomy,
Astrology and Mathematics and other fields. Many historians as well as adventurers as far back
as the 15th century had reported the influx of Islamic Scholars from West and North African
region.

However, Western Education was introduced to South-south Nigeria around the early 1900.
There seemed to be about fifty year’s gap between the North and its Southern counterpart in
Western Education and there was about seven hundred years gap between the North and the
South in Islamic education. The Secondary Education in the North started with the establishment
of Katsina College in 1921. The idea of establishing the College in the Northern protectorate was
to provide for the manpower needs of colonial administration because the north had inadequate
western educated elite to fill the clerical posts in the offices of government departments. Katsina
Teachers College was essentially established in 1921 to train teachers for the Northern provinces.
As the need to recruit Northerners into the Civil Service became greater, the College was
upgraded to Katsina Higher College in 1929 with emphasis on man-power development. In the
case of Dutsin-Ma, Sada Primary School was the first Elementary school in Dutsin-Ma town
established in 1929 by the British colonial government which served as the landmark in the
history of Western education in Dutsin-Ma town. The Colleges of Education are the “train-the-
trainers” colleges aimed to train and produce good teachers whose core values are honesty,
transparent, compassion and tolerance. They were established to address the shortage of teachers
at the NCE level all over Nigeria. Therefore, Isa Kaita College of Education Dutsin-Ma Was
established in 1991 by the then Military Governor of the state, Colonel Yahaya John Madawaki,
as College of Education (Technical) Dutsin-Ma, with the primary aim of addressing the shortage
of Science and Technical Teachers at the primary and secondary schools.