An Appraisal of Colonial Policies and Girl-Child Education in Katsina Emirate under British Administration; 1948-1960 A.D
Author: Dr. Kabir Mohammed, Yusuf Abdul Jarma, Shamsuddeen Bawale, Muktar Habibu Dankulu, Jibrin Ibrahim Gani, Nigeria
Abstract: This study titled “An Appraisal of Colonial Policies and Girl Child Education in Katsina Emirate under British Administration; 1948-1960 A.D.” has been initiated purely to examine and assess for a proper historical reconstruction of the major developments associated with the subject matter mentioned above. The concept of Educational Policy means Government‟s way of realization that part of the National goals can be achieved by using education as a tool. No educational Policy could be formulated without first identifying the overall philosophy and goals of the Authority concerned. In the course of conducting the study many published and unpublished works were interacted with for accurate data collection. The study found that the policies were only longer in words but shorter in action; the motives behind their implementation were partially achieved, because throughout the colonial period there was neither a concrete evidence of the acceptance of Christianity among Katsina Schools‟ Girls, nor single Mission school established and dedicated in the Emirate. Both the implemented policies and Girl-Child Education have generated a change in outlook with regards to the socio-cultural, religious and economic life of the first generation of educated Girls. The policies were also found somehow irrelevant and inappropriate to teaching learning processes. By 1903, Girl-Child Education was not the priority of the British colonial Authority and was as a result largely funded by Katsina Native Authority Treasury Department. This brand of Education began to gather momentum in the late 1940‟s and early part of the 1950‟s for example, Provincial Girls‟ School, Katsina was established in 1954. The study justifies that the first generation of expatriate teachers were found ignorant of their learners socio political, economic, religious, geographical and cultural background and thereby retarding the Educational Department of Girl-Child in the Emirate. Beyond 1958, there was no any Colonial Educational Policy implemented rather than the Structural Adjustment Exercise carried out. This studied subject matter has confronted many challenges among which include; Socio- Cultural and religious factors i.e Muslims‟ strong opposition against the plans for its introduction, concubine, early marriage, institutional fragmentation and failure of some parents and Colonial Administration to rise to the responsibility. Post-colonial Educational Policies and Girl-Child Education after Nation‟s Political Independence also got a boost as a result of the intervention of some International Agencies; such as Human Resource Development (HRD), and United Kingdom, Department for International Development (UK, DFID) and others to offer moral and financial supports