INTERNATIONAL TEACHING AND TRAINING CENTRE

UPGRADE DPTE/DECTE COURSE

HISTORICAL AND COMPARATIVE FOUNDATION OF EDUCATION

UNIT

COURSE OUTLINE

1.0: OVERVIEW OF HISTORICAL AND COMPARATIVE STUDIES

1.1 Introduction to historical and comparative studies

1.2 Early form of Education

2.0: WESTERN EDUCATION BEFORE INDEPENDENCE IN KENYA

2.1 Establishment of western education

2.2 Education during the colonial period

2.3 Development of western education in Kenya

2.4 Western and Africa tradition education

3.0: DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION IN KENYA AFTER

INDEPENDENCE

3.1 Education commissions after independence

3.2 Development of basic education

3.3 Legal provisions in the development of education

4.0: DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHER EDUCATION IN KENYA

4.1 Trend in the development of teacher education

4.2 Reforms in teacher education

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5.0: SYSTEMS OF EDUCATION

5.1 Determines of education system

5.2 Globon system of education

5.3 System of education in Africa

5.4 System of education in Eastern Africa region

5.5 System of education in Kenya

6.0: GLOBAL TRENDS IN EDUCATION

6.1 Global trends in education

6.2 Hiternative modes of education in Kenya

6.3 Global trends on education

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STRAND: OVERVIEW OF HISTORICAL AND COMPARATIVE STUDIES

SUB-STRAND: INTRODUCTION TO HISTORICAL AND COMPARATIVE

STUDIES

Meaning of historical and comparative foundations of education.

KIQ: WHY SHOULD A TEACHER HAVE KNOWLEDGE IN HISTORICAL

AND COMPARATIVE FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION.

History of education

It is the study of past developments of education systems, educational

theory and educational institutions within the general historical
framework of political, social, economic, scientific, technological and
cultural changes.

It focuses on development of educational theory and practice from the

beginning of human civilizations to the present. The aim of this unit is
to produce educators with knowledge, attitudes and skills appropriate
for promotion of education

Comparative education

It is a research framework that uses the comparative method to

explore similarities and differences in educational systems and
practice, including comparing systems across regions and countries.

It is the study of various and often contrasting educational systems with

a a view to understanding them.

PURPOSE

1. To draw comparisons of different educational ideas and to show

the development of various educational theories and practices in
historical contexts.
2. Improves the quality of education and strengthen professional
competency.

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 3. To cultivate the art of self expression, communication inquiry,
objective thinking and ability to judge what is good or bad.
4. To expose learners to educational practices of other countries
thereby enhancing international consciousness and cooperation.
5. To describe education systems, processes and outcomes, thereby
gaining a deeper insight into the educational realities within our
own systems.
6. To gain knowledge.
7. To help establish educational theories and practices.
8. To avoid costly mistakes when establishing our own education
systems as we borrow ideas from other countries.

RELEVANCE OF HISTORICAL AND COMPARATIVE EDUCATION TO

TEACHER EDUCATION

1. It helps students to improve the education in their home country

by borrowing some aspects.
2. It helps teacher in policy formulation, analysis and
implementation.
3. Provides reference for reforms- through studying the educational
systems of other countries we can discover which reforms are
possible and desirable.
4. Contributes to internalization of the school curriculumand
student learning experience, develop student broader world
views, cross cultural and comparative analytic skills.
5. Students make connection between the local and global and the
relationship between education, development and society.
6. Helps students understand how educational systems are shaped
by wealth ideology, socio-cultural features of the country and
impacts of globalization on education policy and practice in
different regions and countries.

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 7. Helps teachers in training to appreciate the various aspects of
their past educational processes sop as to link them to present.
8. Enables teachers intraining to know what type of education we
had and the purpose it served in the past.

EARLY FORMS OF EDUCATION

Before Kenya got Independence, the education system of Kenya was

quite enriched. History of education in Kenya before Independence
involves education which was integrated with artistic, religious, and
recreational life which integrates cultural values.

TRADITIONAL AFRICAN EDUCATION

Refers to the aims, objectives, contents, processes, practices, structures

and knowledge production strategies through which pre-
colonial Africans, as individuals and groups, acquired knowledge, skills,
and values needed for the sustenance and growth of the self, family
and community.

Before introduction of western civilization in Africa, education in the

continent was based on practical methods of teaching and learning- it
was purely indigenous.

Characteristics of traditional African education

- Functional - was functional and stressed participation and

application to meet societal needs. Theory and practice were
combined.
- Authoritarian- adult instruction accepted and followed without
question by the young.
- Universal- access to education was an entitlement to every child.
- Ritual oriented- at the end of every level of learning there was
initiation ceremonies i.e. rites of passage.

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 - Communalism- everyone was taught to work and live as members
of the community.
- Conservative- the aim of the education was preservation of
culture.
- Informal knowledge was commited to memory and then passed
orally and through practical demonstrations.
- Promotion from one level to the next was automatic.
- Adults acted as teachers, peers also participated in teaching.
- It input emphasis on moral rather than intellectual aspects.
- Discouraged too much specialization i.e people who were blacks
smiths would also learn medicine.

Aims of indigenous education

- Conserve cultural heritage of the family, clan and ethnic group.

- Enable children adapt to the physical and social environment and
teach them how to use it.
- To give children practical skills and knowledge that would be
useful to them as individuals and for the society.
- Education was for character building, acquisition of physical
aptitudes and moral qualities.
- Train specialist required by the society e.g., black smith, medicine.

Content

- The physical environment determined the nature of economic

activities to be taught. It also determined production of objects
that had both practical and cultural value. Activities relating to the
economy; hunting, fishing, cultivating, were determined by
physical environment.
- Social environment- an individual was molded into being a
cooperate member of society. Individualism was highly
discouraged.

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 - Religion- Africans did not chose religion, everybody was religious
had to be taught how to behave towards the three groups of
being; unborn, living and the dead.

Methods of instructions

a) Informal methods
➢ Play – children were encouraged to play after work. In play
they developed creativity and used it to learn future roles
imitation.
➢ Oral literature- was greatly used in teaching e.g., myths were
used to explain things beyond man’s understanding e.g.,
creation, death. Legends to teach history of big happenings.
Folktales were used for teaching ethics and morality.
Proverbs morality and ethics. Music and dance too.
➢ Learning by doing- children were involved in practical work
as early as possible. They learnt by being useful. It involved a
lot of imitation. Learning was based on sex roles.
b) Formal (passing on theoretical and practical skills)
➢ Apprenticeship – children learnt craft ship by working with
the expert. Hereditary skills were also passed on this way
e.g., medicine men/ herbalist.
➢ Formal instructions were in constant corrections and
warnings in some aspects of domestic work e.g., herding,
cultivation, fishing, hunting.
➢ Formal teaching took place during mitigation rites to
prepare people to enter the next stage. Seduction period
where real teaching especially before initiation and
marriage.

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ISLAMIC EDUCATION

Islamic education is religion based, its theory is found in the Quran and
the Hadith-the tradition of Prophet Mohammed. Islamic education
required that one should learn how to read. The basic Islamic literature
was written in Arabic and therefore, knowledge of the Arabic language
was crucial.

The philosophical foundations of Islamic [education is the acquisition of

knowledge and will are two qualities which Muslims believe make
human being distinct from other creatures.

Muslims differentiate two types of knowledge;

a) Revealed knowledge- which refers to knowledge revealed to

prophets by God and passed on to human beings.
b) Acquired knowledge- refers to knowledge acquired by human
beings through their own effort.

The acquisition of knowledge is a religious duty and is obligatory

among Muslims regardless of gender race or social class. Muslims are
encouraged to seek knowledge from cradle to grave i.e life long
education.

Islam recognizes pboth religious and secular sources of knowledge.

They are therefore encouraged to acquire knowledge from any source
around the world.

Aims of Islamic education

a) Moral and spiritual training- Muslim educators aim at refining

morality in as much as physical, mental, scientific and practical
aspects are there.
b) Instilling appreciation of secular issues in life- Muslim
philosophers studies sciences, literature and arts subjects seen as

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 vital in acquisition of a livelihood and in strengthening moral
character.
c) Promoting vocational and industrial education- it is expected that
after learners finish the study of Koran, they should each seek a
trade of profession for one to earn a livelihood.
d) Promoting discipline- Islamic education trains learners to be good
citizens.

Main features of Islamic education

- The structure is not pegged on age, an individual Muslim has

access to the education at any time in his or her life.
- Less competitive since entry exams are not mandatory.
- Access id not dependent on the ability to pay fees as very Muslim
scholar has an obligation to pass on knowledge and is rewarded
in form of alms (Sadaqa)
- Attendance of classes can be flexible. The time which the classes
begin varies and is set by individual teachers.
- The Koran and Hadith form the basis of Islamic education.
- Teachers are indispensable as they are transmitters of knowledge
of the Koran, Hadith and Sharia.
- Islamic education is relatively Homogeneous and widespread
because it is completely way of life.

TASK

a) Briefly explain the existence and educational activities of

Madrassa schools.
b) Give the contributions of Islamic education to the expansion
of education in Kenya.

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TRAND: WESTERN EDUCATION BEFORE INDEPENDENCE IN KENYA

SUB-STRAND: ESTABLISHMENT OF WESTERN EDUCATION

Questions

a) What was the aim of missionary education before independence?

b) Give the characteristics of missionary education before
independence.
c) How was education managed by missionaries?
d) Highlight the roles of missionaries in the development of
education.
e) What was the response to missionary education before
independence?
f) In your own view what are the contributions of various religious
organizations to education?

Early missionary education

- Christian missionaries played an important role in the

introduction of western education in kenya and most parts of
Africa.
- Some of the aims of missionary education were to;
a) To win converts i.e spread Christianity.
b) Rehabilitate freed slaves i.e advocate for abolition of slave
trade.
c) Westernize Africans i.e. the considered western way of life
better, they introduced this through education.
d) Teach literacy to the Africans so that they could red the bible.
e) Teach hygiene and western medicine to Africans.
f) Introduce western commerce and industry.

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Characteristics of missionary education

- Predominantly religious in nature in which the lives of the upright

and holy men in the bible were magnified.
- Taught Africans the 3Rs; reading, writing and arithmetic.
- Provided elementary industrial and technical education.
- Africans were taught Agriculture but were not allowed to grow
cash crops.

Management of missionary education

- It was established without sanctions or help from the

government.
- Efficiency of schools depended on the resources and initiative of a
particular mission. Each mission formulated its own policies,
trained, employed and dismissed its own teachers.
- Each mission set its own curriculum and determined what would
be examined.
- The missionaries who learnt African languages did it for
propaganda and acceptance.
- Since they considered African adults too stubborn, they Focused
of education on the African child by removing them fro influence
of home and tribe to adapt to the habits and customs of civilized
society.
- The children taken schools were also trained as Christians to help
in management of fellow Africans.

Contributions of Missionaries in the development of education

a) Prepared Africans for political leaderships especially after

recommendations of Beecher report of 1949.
b) They helped the government in producing textbooks example
Carey Francis wrote mathematics text books.

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 c) Acted as sponsors and managers of the schools that they built by
supervising and employing teachers for this schools.
d) They started the first African teacher training colleges such
Thogoto, Kigari and Kaimosi Teachers Training Colleges.
e) They developed the first curriculum for African education which
mostly emphasized on political subjects.
f) Developed more boarding especially with Africans demanding for
academic and higher education.
g) They laid foundation for formal education by building schools,
where 3Rs was taught.

Africans’ response to missionary education

At the beginning it was indifferent, hostile and apathetic because;

a) Utility of the education provided by missionaries, they preferred

rather the children do family chores.
b) Preaching’s against some African cultures, this was not welcomed
by Africans.
c) Manual work in missionary schools which outweighed class work.
d) They were seen as agents of colonization and oppression.
e) Missionaries were harsh and brutal in their management of
schools.
f) The existing segregation in education.
g) The fear of being cursed by elders who advised the young not to
accept the education provided.

Reasons why Africans accepted missionary and western education

a) The education was seen as a means of acquiring western

civilization and cultural values which elevated one in society.
b) To avoid taxes and forced labor on settles farms and government
projects.

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 c) To improve their status especially the outcasts who would then be
accepted in the society.
d) Provided better prospects, personal and family advancement.
e) Economic power of being educated i.e. getting Job opportunities
in farms, government offices and projects.
f) Better skills in reading, Writing, hygiene and cookery.

STRAND: WESTERN EDUCATION BEFORE INDEPENDENCE

SUBSTRAND: EDUCATION DURING COLONIAL PERIOD

Questions?

a) Why did the colonial government involve itself in the provision of

education?
b) Give the recommendations of various education commissions set
up before independence.
c) What led to the establishment of local native councils and
independent schools.

Colonial government influence in education

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