| dc.description.abstract | This investigation deals with the historical development of the provision of schooling in Eritrea during the British period (1941-1952). It traces the origin of education from traditional to modern education under the Coptic Church, the Mosque, the Catholic and the Swedish Evangelical missionaries. Missionary education served as a stepping stone to the emergence of colonial education.
Italian schooling, which was based on racial discrimination, was colonial in nature and consisted of two types. The school for the nationals was superior excluding access to the locals and the second, for the locals, was an inferior one. It had two concepts, emphasising the spoken Italian language and manual labour. In general, Italian education of the locals was limited only to grade four and was no better than propaganda and indoctrination. It was based on the glorification of Italy's past and present history, respect of its leaders, white superiority and black docility. Its long-term aim was to create future troops for Italy's further colonial expansion.
British schooling inherited a very backward educational system from the Italians, with lack of trained teachers, inadequate textbooks, and almost nonexistent school buildings. As a result British schooling began from scratch, without allocating sufficient financial expenditure. They only assigned teachers, leaving all the responsibility to be covered by the local people like construction of schools, providing residential areas and salaries to teachers. The British upgraded schooling to middle and secondary education. A number of new developments were introduced namely the opening of Teacher Training College, middle and secondary, English Institute and Girls' schools and they also granted bursaries for further education. They conducted inspection of schools once in three months. Above all they allowed the educated locals to play an active role in the schooling activity. In 11 years the number of schools, pupils and teachers outstripped what the Italians have not achieved in their fifty-one years of rule | en_US |
