The controversy over African teachers' salaries in Kenya, 1925-1945

bibliographic database
Line

Periodical article

Title:	The controversy over African teachers' salaries in Kenya, 1925-1945
Author:	Karugu, A.M.
Year:	1988
Periodical:	Kenya Journal of Education
Volume:	4
Issue:	1
Pages:	5-31
Language:	English
Geographic terms:	Kenya Great Britain
Subjects:	colonialism civil servants wages teachers
Abstract:	This paper discusses the position of the colonial government and the Christian missionaries on the problem of African teachers' salaries in Kenya during the period 1925-1945. It shows that while, on the one hand, the government initiated efforts to establish common salary scales for all African teachers irrespective of their employers, the missionaries, on the other hand, generally were opposed to increased salaries for African teachers. This opposition was based on two arguments. First, missionaries taught that love of money is evil and in this context they wanted African teachers to make personal sacrifices for the welfare of their fellow Africans. Second, missionaries held the view that high salaries would limit expansion of education and other services that were also needed. On the whole, the general effect of poor salaries was to lower the status of the teaching profession and prevent it from attracting and retaining qualified people. Notes, ref.