| INTRODUCTION
A good educational system is the foundation of any country. More
significantly it is an important factor in the development of World
countries. However, this progress requires the cooperation of people
with different abilities, different experiences and specialized
training, working together to produce a dynamic system which could
be improved upon over a period of time.
The
history of formal education in The Bahamas dates back to early times.
Education was spearheaded by the Church in the Bahamas. The Society
for the Propagation of the Gospel (an Anglican missionary group)
pioneered Bahamian education from 1722 but since 1746 the government
assisted by paying teachers' salaries. The Baptists and Methodist
were most instrumental in educating blacks from about 1800. Anglican,
Methodist, Baptist and Catholic-run schools continue their tremendous
contributions to Bahamian education even today but the government
has also played a prominent role from the beginning.
Shortly
after emancipation the Education Act of 1836, established a Board
of Education to administer all schools in the colony. A later act,
passed in 1878, made primary education compulsory. Secondary education
was dominated by religious institutions until the establishment
of the Government High School in 1925.
As
the country developed further, the need for more institutions of
higher learning grew. A teachers' college was opened in 1964 and
the government's White Paper on Education published in 1972 outlined
future plans for the new nation. These included the extension of
public secondary education to the Family Islands; and the establishment
of a College of the Bahamas by and Act of Parliament, 1974. The
latest thrust in Bahamian education being the initiation of a public
pre-school program in the late 1980s.
Although
a number of people have written on the History of Bahamian education,
very few if any at all, have focused on people who contributed to
the development of the educational system. This web site is an attempt
to highlight some of the "unsung heroes" who have done
much to promote and establish education in The Bahamas. |
