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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
OF CURRENT RESEARCH
International Journal of Current Research
Vol
...
097-102, December, 2012

ISSN: 0975-833X

RESEARCH ARTICLE

THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION IN KENYA: EXPANDING
EDUCATION THROUGH EVANGELIZATION
* 1Francis

Barasa and 2Joseph Misati

Department of Sociology and Psychology, PO Box, 3900-30100, Eldoret, Kenya
Department of Sociology, PO Box, 861-20500, Narok, Kenya
ARTICLE INFO
Article History:
Received 07th September, 2012
Received in revised form
08th October, 2012
Accepted 09th November, 2012
Published online 18th December, 2012

Key words:
Christianity,
Participation,
Partnership,
Infrastructure,
Policy,
Education,
Values

ABSTRACT
The education sector in Kenya has gone through significant development processes
...
This early
Christianity-educational nexus formed the important milestone for further participation of
the church in the development of education in Kenya
...
The objective of this paper is to find out the extent
of the Church’s contribution in the development of education in Kenya and to assess its
impact to the general expansion of education in the country
...
Furthermore, it assesses the
central role the Church plays by linking the development of long term physical
infrastructure to the expansion and development of education
...
It finally examines the role of the Church in the implementation of
the Education Policy in partnership with the Ministry of Education in accordance with the
Education Act of 1968, to provide the necessary supervision and coordination of all
education related activities
...
All rights reserved
...
An increase in access to quality education is
important to socio-economic growth, productivity, increased
individual earnings and reduced income inequalities (Republic
of Kenya, 2007, p
...
Since the attainment of political
independence, the Government of Kenya, through its various
policy frameworks, has placed emphasis on the importance of
education in its socio-economic development programmes
...
This rapid expansion has seen the initial number of
6,058 primary schools with an enrolment of 891,552 pupils in
1963 rise to 17,394 primary schools with an enrolment of
7,394,763 pupils in 2006 (Ibid, 2007, p
...
Furthermore, this
accelerated expansion has also been witnessed in the
*Corresponding author: barasafranc@yahoo
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1)
...
The evolution of educational policies in independent
Kenya dates back to 1964 with the production and publication
of the Ominde Report which proposed the development and
expansion of the education system to foster national unity and
development (Republic of Kenya, 1965, p
...
Furthermore,
the Report proposed access to, improvement of quality of the
education, improvement of institutional framework and
expansion of capacities for an effective delivery and
management system
...
The universal important role of education is
reflected in various ways
...
4, Issue, 12, pp
...
For instance, in Britain during the
middle ages, schooling was a privilege of the British nobility
who mainly studied classical subjects and had little need for
practical skills to earn a living because of the high social status
they occupied in society
...
As the
working class demanded access to schools, a bigger proportion
of the population started acquiring education
...
Although the state had contributed
to the provision of the general education as early as 1833, it
was only with Forster’s Education Act of 1870 that it assumed
full responsibility
...
With the Fisher Education Act of
1918, the state finally became responsible for secondary
education (Haralambos and Holborn, 2008, p
...


nevertheless used their various religious orders to introduce
education
...
According
to Schaefer (2005, p
...
355)
...
The Christian churches that were sent to
Africa to achieve this mission included: United Methodist
Church, The Roman Catholic Church, Presbyterian, Church of
Scotland, Church Missionary Society, the Salvation Army,
The Seventh Day and the Inland Mission among others
...
They were
seen as the most important institutions because of the
substantial contribution they made in the establishment and
development of education in Africa including regions such as
Kenya
...
The establishment and subsequent
development of schools followed a definite pattern
...
These efforts culminated in the development and
expansion of education and other related infrastructure
through evangelization
...
The Protestant Churches in particular, took up
this responsibility and established several Church Societies
across Europe
...
All these Societies were involved in
the spread of the gospel and evangelisation
...
23)
...
In particular, the age between
the war (1920-1940) was the age of the establishment of
primary schools spearheaded by the Church while the time
after the World War 11 (1945-1960) was the age of the
establishment of secondary schools (Baur, 1994, p
...
With
the attainment of political independence by most African
nations, there came the age of the establishment of
Universities with a growing involvement in evangelization
(Ibid, 1994, p
...
The bush schools, as the early primary
schools were referred to were generally run at very low cost to
make them accessible to the poor Africans who could not
access high-cost European schools
...
However, the colonialists’
intention was different
...


The Church’s Early work of
Development of Primary Schools

The Lutherans, for instance, insisted that the converts should
be able to read the bible while the Anglicans sought a selfreliant church where the local people would be empowered to
take charge of evangelisation
...
This goal led them to built
more schools
...
They built a strong educational
infrastructure that crystallized into the growth of education in
Africa
...
In particular formal education was
introduced by the European missionaries with the aim of
turning people into good Christians who would eventually
become better tools for the colonial government in the
furtherance of their goals
...

However, this development was not new because the Church
and religion were initially seen as the source of most
professions including teachers and doctors (Ritzer, 2008)
...
Consequently, a number of European Cities got
involved in the spread of the gospel as early as the 14th
century
...
The main focus was
evangelisation which enabled them to respond to the noble
call of spreading the Christian gospel through evangelical
movements
...
4, Issue, 12, pp
...
Most of them
competed in the founding of educational institutions in various
parts of the country
...
In fact, before
the 1920’s the Missionaries and other volunteers were the sole
financiers of education who consequently moulded the nature
and content of education (Opio-Odongo, 1993, p
...
The
Protectorate Government of Uganda found nothing wrong
with the systems of education introduced by the European
missionaries and in the 1920s, sought to contribute towards
this course in two forms: financial help to the missionaries (a
form of cost-sharing) and establishment of schools and
colleges (Ibid, 1993, p
...
Furthermore, the Missionaries
established Theological Colleges in Uganda which
exemplified the privately-funded institutions of higher
education
...
For instance, the Bishop
Tucker Theological College of the Church of Uganda
(Anglican) was established in 1923 with specific function of
training people for Church Ministry
...
They played an important role in the
educational development through evangelisation in the various
schools they were posted to
...
The Portuguese followed suit but the French
anti-Cleric government did not support the mission schools
...
As
for British Africa in 1945, the Lord Hailey’s African Survey
gave the percentage of pupils in Mission schools as 94% of all
the children including those in schools run by the government
...
It also shows the level of impact the Church had on
the local community in terms of evangelization
...
Among the very first schools in Kenya started
by AIC Missionaries were located in these mission centres
...
Schools have
since been de-linked from these Mission centres
...
11-30)
...

The Church Missionary Society (CMS) which came into being
in 1799 in Europe commenced its evangelisation work in
Africa in the seventeenth century by initially moving into
Sierra Leone where they opened the first school at Fourah
Bay
...
Education
became an important factor in evangelisation
...
As CMS was developing schools in West
Africa, other Missionary Societies and Christian
denominations were working in Kenya
...
Its most enduring
contribution was the establishment of Alliance High School in
1926
...
It is built on a strong Christian foundation
headed by a group of three main stream Churches in Kenya
...


The need for secondary schools became evident after the
World War 11
...
It also resulted in stiff
competition between schools for the few trained teachers
(Ibid, 1994)
...
Baur states that all investments in
schools seemed well justified because Africa became Christian
to the extent that its children went to school and between 8090% of all Christians may have been converted
...
They were also able to mediated between the
traditional African way of life and the new way of life brought
about by Christianity
...
Once in
school they opened to the message of Christ with the approval
and support of their parents
...

The Belgian government, for instance, was inspired by the
Missionary Circles who insisted on the “Church building
Value of Education”
...

The school gave to the girls a new consciousness and prepared
them for new challenges in life
...

However, the arrival of Congregations of Sisters in Kenya
provided a new impetus which further strengthened the
development of the girls’ education
...
A number of girls’ schools were
established by these Congregations
...
4, Issue, 12, pp
...
The
Assumption Sisters on the other hand started a similar school
for girls at Turbo
...
Besides empowering
and emancipating them, such schools played an important role
in mentoring them for a special calling in the church and a
number of them have since joined the Congregations of
various Sisterhoods to carry on with evangelisation of the
Christian faith ( Gichumbi, 2008, p
...

The Development of University Education by the Church
Besides establishing primary and secondary schools in various
parts of the country, the Church turned to investing in
University education
...
However, a few
Missionary attempts were made
...
Firstly the
Missionaries established the University of Fourah Bay in
Sierra Leone in 1869
...
Three attempts by the
Catholic Church were made at Roma in Lesotho in 1945,
Lovanium in Kinshasa 1951 and Asmara in Ethiopia in 1958
(Ibid, 1994)
...
Among the
students of theology, the greatest number was drawn from the
Catholics who took evangelization to a higher level (Ibid,
1994)
...
For instance, the Catholic
University in Kenya was started modestly as a graduate school
of theology (Catholic Higher Institute of Eastern AfricaCHIEA) by the Ecclesiastical Authority i
...
an Association of
members of Episcopal Conference of Eastern Africa
(Commission for Higher Education, 2012, p
...
On May
2, 1984, CHIE was authorised by the Congregation for
Catholic Education, Vatican City (cf
...
N
...
In 1989, it obtained a 'Letter of Interim Authority'
and in November 3, 1992, it was granted a Charter which
marked its birth as a University (Ibid, p
...
The year between
1989 and 2012 witnessed phenomenon growth and expansion
of Church-Sponsored Universities in Kenya
...
In this regard, most Churches
that chose to invest in higher education were guided by their
core values, mission and principles
...
39)
...
60)
...
109)
...
The entry of the Church in the provision
of higher education in Kenya has provided opportunities to
most young Kenyans who would otherwise have missed
chances to develop their potentials
...
It does not only shape the young
graduates in terms of their educational achievements, but more
importantly, benefits the larger society by graduating persons
of integrity and strong moral character
...
Most of the
Universities sponsored by the Church have not only expanded
the traditional courses offered by Public universities but have
gone further to introduce unique degree programmes geared
towards meeting the countries' current and future socioeconomic and technological challenges
...
For instance, the Catholic University of
Eastern Africa has established five Constituent Colleges
spread across the country offering various programmes ( Ibid,
p
...

Furthermore, the students population of a University such as
KeMU, has rapidly grown
...

A strong and student friendly Welfare department exists to
take care of their physical, spiritual and social needs which
which are provided through experienced sports instructors,
counsellors and chaplaincy respectively
...
These are:, the School of Business and
Economics, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Faculty
of Computing and Informatics, Faculty of Science and
Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology and Faculty
of Education and Social Studies
...
These policies are
not a dichotomy but are complimentary to the government’s
education policy
...
4, Issue, 12, pp
...
11-13)
...
List of Fully Accredited Private Faith-Based Universities as of 30/6/12
Year of
Award of
Charter
1
...

Daystar University
Registered 27/12/1989
1994
3
...

United States International University
Registered 27/12/1989
1999
5
...
Paul's University
Registered 27/12/1989
2007
6
...

Kenya Highlands Evangelical University
Registered 27/12/1989
2011
8
...

Africa Nazarene University
LIA 1993
2002
10
...

Strathmore University
LIA 2002
2008
Source: Commission for Higher Education (2012), Accreditation and Quality Assurance Report: Assessing Quality
Higher Education
Commission for Higher Education, Nairobi, Kenya p
...
List of Faith-Based Constituent Colleges and their Mentoring Universities as at 30th June, 2012
S/NO
Name of University College
Mentoring University
Year Established
1
...

Tangaza College
CUEA
1997
3
...

Regina Pacis University College
CUEA
2010
5
...
6-8

developing true professionalism among teachers through preservice and post qualification training, educating the whole
person by providing a holistic education, providing pastoral
care in schools and preparation of educational syllabi and
other school materials that are in keeping with the Ministry of
Education's policy (Africa Inland Church, 2009, p
...

This partnership is important because it shows the extent of
involvement by the Church not only in the provision of
pastoral care but also in the participation of the development
of the syllabus in the area of religious study
...

Major mainstream Churches are sponsors of most schools in
the country and have well defined objectives and policies
...
Effective
implementation of policies can at times present challenges
...
Their duty is to facilitate
policy implementation, to provide the necessary supervision
and to co-ordinate all education-related activities of the
Church within a given district
...
The policy lays
emphasis on the provision and development of education in
line with the Government policy and in the light of these
goals
...
The Church has
strong principles which specify that everyone has a right to
education and training
...
Consequently, the
church, in collaboration with the community has a right to
establish schools where there is need
...
4-7)
...
However, with the coming in
force of the Act, the Churches became sponsors of such
schools after handing them over to the government in 1968
...
9-14)
...
4, Issue, 12, pp
...
This
includes ensuring, cooperation with the BOGs and School
Management Committees, enhancing and maintaining
academic standards and discipline, ensuring that the
infrastructure (school buildings and equipment) and other
assets are properly maintained and safeguarded
...
The Education Boards on
which representatives of the Church sit, have a lot of influence
on issues pertaining to education
...
This representation has enabled
most of the Church-sponsored schools to perform well in
national examinations
...
22-24)
...
They
also ensure the internalisation of religious values and norms
...

The Chaplaincy also builds relationships between the school
and the church
...
Furthermore, he
encourages students to evangelise around their school and
beyond during school holidays (Africa Inland Church, 2009)
...
As a sponsor, it also plays an important role in the
appointment of teachers to church-sponsored schools
...
Through the
Education Board, the Church’s policy and development
agenda in education is discussed and implemented
...

The Education Act (1968, p
...
Chapter 211 Part IX 28
section 1 establishes a District Education Board that consists
among other people three persons nominated by the sponsor of
the schools
...
During this time, schools that have performed
well including pupils and students are recognized and given
prizes
...
In the same spirit, churches that
sponsor schools also do organise their own Education Days for
purposes of enhancing the education agenda in the district
...
For instance,
during the Education Day to celebrate the KCPE Results for

2009 for Eldoret West district the AIC sponsored schools
clinched five positions among the first 30 positions out of a
total of 154 schools
...
Churches also do organize their own
education days with a theme that has strong inclination
towards Christianity
...
This
is a role that the church has diligently discharged over time
...

Christianity has spread systematically allowing most young
people to embrace it, a value that has contributed to the
building of a holistic society based on strong Christian
foundation
...


REFERENCE
African Inland Church of Kenya (2009), Education Policy:
Guidelines for AIC Sponsored Schools and Private Schools
in Kenya, Printed by AIC Kenya
Baur John (1994), 2000 Years of Christianity in Africa: An
African History 62-1992 Paulines Publication – Africa
Nairobi Kenya
Commission for Higher Education (2012, 10th Exhibition By
Kenyan Universities, Government Training Institute, GTI
Embu, 15th- 17th March 2012, Commission for Higher
Education, Nairobi, Kenya
Michael Haralambos & Martin Holborn (2008) Sociology:
Themes and Perspectives, Seventh edition, HarperCollins
Publishers Limited
...
cuea
...
php?=comontent&view=article&id=38itemid=96
Keen Rosemary (2011), Church Missionary Societies: General
Introduction and Guidance
http://www
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co
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