British and French Educational Policies in Africa: Church Missionary and Enculturation Perspective

Both British and French African colonies have experienced some sort of civilization through their educational agenda which was done through missionary and trade activities. While the church missionary activities from the land of the colonial masters were commended on the one hand, they were criticized for upholding slave trade and racial discrimination on the other hand. Therefore, using the historical research method, the paper aimed at elucidating the British and French educational policy in Africa through church missionary and enculturation processes. The paper showed that the colonial masters irrespective of the medium used in carrying out their educational policies, were domineering and discriminating to African cultural heritage either by way of assimilation or indirect rule. While the policy of assimilation by French subjugated the language and culture of their African colonies, that of British used their African colonies to perpetuate their agenda through indirect rule and never British citizenship to them. The paper was concluded on the presupposition that the educational policies of the duo through church missionary and acculturation activities was applauded in the positive civilization brought to their African colonies, they should be criticized for the policies that are affecting those colonies negatively.