Abstract
After the Nigerian Civil War in 1970, the federal government took over schools founded by religious groups because education was thought to be a huge government venture and no longer a private enterprise. Prior to this time, Nigerian leaders benefitted from the free education offered by missionaries, which became the bedrock for Nigerian nationalism and independence. Most people argue that the sudden takeover of the schools by the government brought about the collapse of education that was hitherto reputed for high standards in learning and morality. Hence, the call for return of mission schools by pressure groups became rife. Conversely, in the wake of the return of mission schools by some states in the federation, stakeholders have expressed divergent views, citing denominational sentiments, tribal prejudices and unhealthy rivalry among citizens as problems that could militate against national integration and development. This article aims at examining the divergent views in the light of the role of religious education (RE) in nation building and integration.
Highlights
This article addresses the topic: “Religious education and nation-building in Nigeria.” Some argue that the federal government of Nigeria took over mission schools after the Nigerian Civil War in 1970, in order to combat the problem of tribalism (Fagbunmi 2005:1-7; Efobi 2011:6)
Most people argue that the sudden takeover of the schools by the government brought about the collapse of education that was hitherto reputed for high standards in learning and morality
In the wake of the return of mission schools by some states in the federation, stakeholders have expressed divergent views, citing denominational sentiments, tribal prejudices and unhealthy rivalry among citizens as problems that could militate against national integration and development
Summary
This article addresses the topic: “Religious education and nation-building in Nigeria.” Some argue that the federal government of Nigeria took over mission schools after the Nigerian Civil War in 1970, in order to combat the problem of tribalism (Fagbunmi 2005:1-7; Efobi 2011:6). Religious education is viewed from the different theoretical and practical dimensions of religiosity, a model posited by Ulrich Hermel (Adam, Rothgangel & Lachmann 2014:15-20). While some people argue that differences in religious and non-religious belief vis-a-vis government-sponsored religious education can be a source of conflict; others argue that religious beliefs have historically socialized people’s behaviour and morality, that teaching religion in school is important to encourage children to be responsible, spiritually sound adults. Our concern in this article is not to discuss the different aspects of religious education, but to present the divergent views of individuals and groups on the Nigerian Government takeover and return of mission schools from 1970 to the present. The section discusses the history of different educational traditions that have operated in Nigeria with a brief highlight of their contributions
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