The development of secondary education amongst the Xhosas in the Ciskei during the period 1941-1968

Abstract

The wars of dispossession and land claims amongst the various racial groups caused dissatisfaction which led them to split from each other enabling the Whites to possess greater part of the South African soil. Because the Xhosas had their own system of education, the Whites felt that the Xhosas had first to be anglicised in order to 'tame' them. Missionary institutions such as Lovedale, Healdtown and St Matthews were established to Christianise the Xhosas. The missionaries succeeded in their endeavour because the Xhosas started sending their children to the missionary institutions already established and this influenced the Xhosas to establish their own tribal schools that would cater for secondary education facilities. The <Jovernmenr· subsidised the tribal communities to establish secondary schools in their areas. Fifteen,secoodary schools were established enabling the communities to exercise control over their own schools as the missionary institutions were controlled by the Cape Department of Education.