Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term - Senior Secondary 2

Term: 2^nd Term

Week: 8

Class: Senior Secondary School 2

Age: 16 years

Duration: 40 minutes of 2 periods each

Date:       

Subject:      Government

Topic:-       Colonial administration

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: At the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to

1. Define assimilation and association
2. State the problems of policy of assimilation
3. Give reasons for change from assimilation to association

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES: Identification, explanation, questions and answers, demonstration, videos from source

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS: Videos, loud speaker, textbook, pictures

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES

PERIOD 1-2

NOTE

COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION

POLICY OF ASSIMILATION

France, in the administration of west Africa colonies constituted all of them into a loose federation with headquarters in Dakar, Senegal. A governor general was appointed in Dakar and he was in charge of the federation. France in her belief of the superiority of French civilization and inferiority of Africa civilization adopted a system of administration known as the policy of assimilation.

The policy of assimilation involves the imposition of French culture on west African culture. This means the way of life, tradition, customs, beliefs, thinking, and traditional institutions gave way/replaced to a more advanced French culture and civilization. It was based on the arrogant belief that the French culture was superior to that of the Africans. Under this policy, the French regarded the West African colonies as an extension of French citizens in West Africa. As a result of this, the people enjoyed all the rights and privileges enjoyed by the French people in France. In order to enjoy all these, the people of West Africa must embrace this policy by throwing their traditional way of life in place of that of the French. This assimilation policy, was practiced in the communes. They are Dakar, goree, rufisque and saint louis.

Features Of French Colonial System (Assimilation)

1. It was centralized.
2. It was a direct rule.
3. Frenchified Africans enjoyed rights and privileges enjoyed by the French people
4. Educated elites were recognized and absorbed into the French social system
5. The policy brought all West African colonies together
6. West Africa were divided into two, citizens and subjects.
7. Education was restricted because only the French could establish schools and only few schools were built.
8. Paris served as the base of centralized administration as laws were made there.
9. There was absence of political parties and association.
10. There was non-recognition of chieftaincy institutions.
11. There was no respect for African culture as it was meant to substitute/replace African culture
12. French officials arrested and imprisoned Africans without trial.

Achievements Of Assimilation Policy

a. The system created a federation of French West African which enabled them to present the common needs to French government

1. Introduction of universal male suffrage electoral system for both Europeans and Africans.
2. France succeeded in replacing African culture with French culture
3. The French government introduced a uniformed system of local administration between their home office and overseas colonies.
4. French government and businessmen succeeded in directing the economy and making much money from the West African colonies.
5. Africans were given equal opportunity for higher education like French men.
6. Certain bad African practices were removed
7. Africans can vote and be voted for like French men.

Reasons For the Failure of The Policy of Assimilation

1. There were cultural differences between the French and the west African. The French did not consider the culture of the west Africans before introducing the policy.
2. The powers of the traditional chiefs were reduced.
3. The system was expensive and placed financial burden on the people of France and they therefore criticized it.
4. The French intellectuals opposed that policy that would create equality between the French men and Africans.
5. The success of indirect rule system in Nigeria motivated the need for a change of the French policy so as to make the system flexible.
6. The second world war and its aftermath/effects compelled the French to abandon assimilation.
7. Forced and hard labor, jail without trail etc. made the policy unpopular and objectionable.
8. The love the people of Africa demonstrated for their culture contributed to the failure of the policy.
9. The division of Africans into two classes, 1^st class and second-class citizen contributed to the failure of assimilation
10. Nationalism by Africans in British west Africa created nationalistic feelings in the colonies

POLICY OF ASSOCIATION

As a result of the failure of assimilation which was caused by wrong opposition and wide criticism, France decided to abolish the policy of assimilation and adopted the policy of association which is similar to indirect rule. Association is the policy in which colonial Africans associate with France in the spirit of cooperation not as frenchified Africans but as Africans with their own identity. It was created because of the experience and failure of the policy of assimilation. Association policy can also be the recognition and preservation of the traditional political institutions, belief and the culture of the people of the colonies. It was used in the spirit of cooperation between the French and their colonies.

Features Of the Policy of Association

1. It respected and recognized the people’s culture.
2. It abolished the indignant policy of forced labor.
3. The people’s traditional political institutions were recognized.
4. Dual citizenship was abolished.
5. Freedom of political association and assembly was permitted.
6. Each colony was granted freedom to develop in its own way/pace as they desired.
7. More French personnel were used than Africans.
8. Each colony had a government

EVALUATION:    1. Define assimilation and association

2. State the problems of assimilation
3. Give reasons for the change from assimilation to association

CLASSWORK: As in evaluation

CONCLUSION: The teacher commends the students positively