Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

The legacy of Christianity in West Africa, with special reference to Burkina Faso

2010; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 46; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/03050068.2010.503749

1360-0486

Philippe Ouédraogo,

Agriculture and Rural Development Research

Abstract In the following paper, I am going to discuss education and religion and consider the legacy of Christianity in education in West Africa with particular reference to the Evangelical churches in Burkina Faso. The paper will start with a general introduction to West Africa and the place of missionaries’ activities in the region. I will then attempt to point out some different strategies between the British and French attitudes to education with a special focus on Burkina Faso. The quality contribution of the church schools to success in the national examination league tables will be examined. The supportive attitude of government officials to the Christian legacy in the country will conclude this paper. Notes 1. See www.ecowas.int/ (accessed 12 December 2009). 2. See African Christianity’s web page – http://www.bethel.edu/~letnie/AfricanChristianity/Sub-SaharaHomepage.html, p. 23 (accessed 12 December 2009). 3. Documentary film made for the fiftieth anniversary of the Assemblies of God church on the history of the first American missionaries arriving in the ‘Mossi Land’ in 1921. 4. Oral testimonies received in the bible school of Nagbangré‐Koubri by the first generation church leaders. Such mini Bible schools lasted three months and candidates were sent out to evangelise and establish churches. 5. Personal interview with Pastor Simporé Sibiri, former Secretary General of Evangelical Educators of Burkina Faso, conducted on 20 March 2006, in Ouagadougou. 6. Pastor Pierre Dupret and his wife, French missionaries were called by the American missionaries for help as the country was a French colony. 7. See Note 5, above. 8. See Note 5, above. 9. Interview with Pastor Gouba Tobado, in his office in Ouagadougou on 22 February 2006. He was the second national school teacher who helped the missionary Dupret when he started the first Evangelical primary school in 1948. He taught primary education for 37 years, both private and public, and promoted the school at the International Centre for Evangelism (CIE), where he is a Pastor. 10. Viewpoint shared by Pastors Flavien Tapsoaba and Simporé. Flavien Tapsoaba is an executive member and treasurer of the Federation of Evangelical Churches and Missions in Burkina Faso and former president of the Apostolic Mission Church, founder of the school complex Raoul F. Interviewed on the 8 February 2006. 11. Abel Zongo is the director of the Association of Evangelical Schools of the Assemblies of God. 12. Lankoué Ibrango, former school advisor, and headmaster of the Evangelical School in Ouahigouya, the capital of the Northern province of Yatenga. With over 40 years of experience in teaching in the same school, he taught the researcher in the middle class during the year 1968–69. The interview was conducted in the school at Ouahigouya in March 2006. 13. This number does not include schools opened by church members, families, associations and NGOs who are members of the same church denomination. 14. Interview made with L. Ibrango, in March 2006. 15. Interview with President Blaise Compaoré at the 75th Anniversary of Assemblies of God church of Burkina Faso, December 2006. 16. Innocent Kientega, an educationalist in an Evangelical school; interviewed on 11 February 2005. 17. Personal interview with Tobado Gouba, conducted on 22 February 2006 at the CIE Head Office in Ouagadougou. 18. Antoinette Ouedraogo, former pupil at The Young Girls’ College of Loumbila, interviewed in Ouagadougou on 9 February 2005. 19. Muriel P. Ouedraogo, of Loumbila Young Girls’ College, won the first prize in the award for the best girl student at secondary level country. At the time of writing Muriel is studying Medicine at the University of Dakar, Senegal.