Education is an integral part of human beings success and development of any country.

Therefore,
education must be adopted as life changes due to high increase of knowledge. For this reason this
assignment discusses in detail how Phelp Stokers commission supported and improved education for the
Africans.

To begin with, according to Farrant, (1974) education is the total process of human learning by which
knowledge is imparted, faculties trained and skill developed. Therefore education has to be organised
in a suitable structure to improve the living standard of people. This can be noted from UNESCO in
Kelly (1990) to define education, “Education is taken to comprise, organised and sustained
communication designed to bring about learning”. This promulgates a picture that for education to
develop it must be organised, so as to improve human life at individual and national level.

However, during the period between 1890 and 1924 is known as the British South Africa company
rule. During this period, there was neglect of education by the company which concentrated on
amassing the wealth of Zambia. Carmody (2004) promulgate that “the Company rule for the
subsequent thirty-years was one of consistent neglect of education”. The British South Africa
Company only built one school (Barotse nation school) of which the company assumed no financial
responsibility but allocated itself the right to control education. Even though the company promised to
offer financial assistance to missionary education, it failed to offer any assistance toward education
and controlled education from one point which was difficult to run (Snelson: 1974). In 1918, the
company introduced a proclamation demanding among other things, the registration of schools
(Carmody: 2004). This was not meant to improve education, but to frustrate missionaries as they
endeavour to deliver education to Africans. Furthermore the company neither provide suitable
curriculum to suite the education needs of Africans nor train teachers, which they longed for in their
endeavour to be educated.

Moreover, the British South Africa company rule (BSAC) is best known for its neglect of education
sector in the history of Zambia and Africa at large. However after the dispatcher of the British south
company, the colonial government took over and some aspect on education changed in which the
government now engaged in education.

In 1924 the colonial government in collaboration with missionaries invited the Phelps-Stoke
commission to survey the education system in Zambia (northern Rhodesia) which made a number of
recommendations. Phelps-Stokes Education Commissions carried out its activities in western, southern
and equatorial Africa from July 15,1920 to September 10, 1921, and in particular visited Sierra Leone,
Liberia, Gold Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon, Belgian Congo, Angola, South Africa, Zambia and the
British territories. The second, instituted at the suggestion of colonial governments, concentrated its

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efforts in eastern, central, and southern Africa from January 5, 1924 to June 19, 1924, traveling to
Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika, Zanzibar, Nyasaland, Rhodesia, South Africa, and the trust territories.

Therefore, the Phelps-stoke commission recommended the following; according to Snelson (1974)
government to appoint the director of native education, the establishment of an advisory committee,
government to subsidise the education system and train teachers and develop a curriculum that is able
to adapt to the condition of the people. An advisory committee to draw representatives from both the
government and missionaries was to be elected and it should be changed with the formulation of
education policies. The reports of the Phelps-stokes commission made a profound impression on the
advisory committee on native education and this can be noted when the native education committee
presented its policy for education in 1925.

According to Snelson (1974), “When the advisory committee presented it first policy of memorandum
in March 1925, the influence of the Phelps-stokes commission could be clearly seen”. This is the clear
indication that the advisory committee worked on and implemented what the Phelps-stokes
commission had recommended.

The advisory committee was invested with power to formulate policies to govern the education system
in northern Rhodesia. According to Kelly (1990: 52) “an advisory board was appointed and held its
first meeting in July 1925, to draw up plans for the organisation of mission education and the training
of teachers; the essential preliminary to any education advance”. The native advisory committee
mandate to government to control education in which partnership was encouraged just as the Phelps
stokes commission recommended. It is important to note that the government alone cannot provide
quality education; in that it needs supports from agencies such as nongovernmental organisation.

Therefore, missionaries were encouraged to work hand in hand with the government. The colonial
government also encouraged voluntary agencies to invest in education (Enosi: 2002). The committee
also stressed the importance of cooperation within the missionary sketch and put emphasis on
formulating one curriculum to be followed by all education providers.

The sub-native education under the department of native affairs was established and Latham was
appointed director (Kelly: 1990). This concept can be viewed as decentralisation. Decentralisation is
an important aspect especially in education because it leads to improvement in quality and
management of education. However, we can note that there was decentralisation in its endeavour to
establish quality and organised national system of education. The establishment of the sub native
education was to bring education services close to the people. Latham was changed with the task of
unifying and coordinating the education activities.

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The native advisory committee like the Phelps-stokes commission recommended, the government to
subsidise the work of missionaries by giving them grant-in-aid to assist them in the operation as they
endeavour to offer quality education services. According to Mwanakatwe (1974) “The government
spent £15.300 from the colonial reserve for native education and of the total expenditure in the
territory of £695,000”. Indeed we can see that the government was really committed to improve the
education system as compare to the British South Africa company rule which only established one
school and no aid was offered. In addition the government increase expenditure on education was due
to the Second World War in which copper was on high demand and it generated more funds of which
some were channelled to improve and organise the education sector and this lead to the establishment
of schools like Munali in 1939 and Chipembi in 1946 respectively here in today’s Zambia.

The committee also emphasised on training teachers just as the Phelps stokes commission had
recommended. According to Kelly (1990: 50) “without properly trained teachers the education system
would remain wasteful and inefficiency”. This is the clear picture that these facts lead to the well
organised education system. This move lead to the improvement and opening of teacher training
institute such as Kafue, Sefula and Chalimbana in 1938, in which teachers were trained in teaching
theory, management and basic first aid. The concept behind this was to enable teachers to manage and
perform their tasks as teachers in school and outside school boarders.

However, the native advisory committee also worked on the curriculum to suit the needs of Africans in
that it was also put in vernacular. It is a well known fact that education improves the living conditions
of the people politically, socially and economically. This view can be noted in Snelson (1974), who
state that “Education should be adapted to the mentality, aptitudes, occupation and traditions of
various people, conserving as far as possible all sound and health element in the fabric of the social
life”. This means that the curriculum was designed to improve the quality of life of the people not only
that but also diversified to include technical and agriculture education so that people can supplement
themselves just as the Phelps- stokes commission had recommended, education to be adapted to the
conditions and needs of society and it must be a preparation for life. Furthermore, the curriculum
included girls and women and in general adult education and this was so to improve the status of
women and girls.

The thirst for a well organised education system did not stop within the time frame of the colonial
rule, it continued even in the federal period and added more on what the Phelps- stokes commission
had recommended. Kelly (1990) “the African education ordinance promulgated in 1952 had provided
for the establishment of local education authorities in all provinces and districts”. This was to ensure
that there is close monitoring of education so as to improve quality and management in the education
sector. The government also elected the legislative council which encompasses Africans to strengthen

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the education system of Africans and also appointed education commission or committee, in that to
reviewed education system from time to time. In addition the government increased funding schools
and this can be seen through the establishment of schools, increase in enrolment and opening of
teacher training institutes such as Malcolm Moffat and so on.

Finally, to sum up, we can notice that the Phelps stokes commission which was headed by Jones
played a vital role in the organisation and improvement of the education in Africa through its
recommendations. The government engaging in education was of crucial importance in which
partnership and decentralisation was encouraged.

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 REFERENCES

Carmody, Brendan. (1974). The Evolution of Education in Africa. Lusaka: Lusaka Book World
Publisher.

Enosi, Ssemanda. (2002). History of Education in East Africa. Kampala: foundation publisher.

Farrant, J. S. (1974). Principles and Practice of Education. London: Longmans.

Kelly, M. J. (1990). The Origin and Development of Education in Zambia. Lusaka: Image
Publisher Limited.

Mwanakatwe, J. M. (1974). The Growth of Education in Zambia Since Independence. Lusaka:

Oxford University Press.

Snelson, Peter. (1974). Education Development in Northern Rhodesia 1883-1945. Lusaka: National
Education Company of Zambia Limited.