Description:
The study investigated the Catholic Missionary‟s Education as an Agent of Socio Economic Transformation in Luguru Society, 1882 - 1960. The study was carried out in
the current Matombo, Mvomero and Morogoro municipality formally known as
Morogoro district. The study intended to explore the evolution and development of
Catholic missionary education system, to investigate the ways through which Catholic
missionaries utilized education for changing the indigenous‟ socio-economic conditions
and to examine the socio-economic changes created by Catholic missionary education in
Uluguru land. This study was guided by Underdevelopment theory postulated by Walter
Rodney. The theory provided the perspective for analyzing the findings in the light of the
objectives of the study.
The study employed historical design and qualitative approach where documentary, in depth interviews and observation methods were used to collect data. The study revealed
that the Holy Ghost Fathers missionaries who were the main providers of western
education in colonial Uluguru society, created proletariat and peasant classes among the
indigenous people.
Besides, the study demonstrated that many Waluguru who attended catholic missionary
education were converted to the Catholic Christian faith which obliged them to renounce
their traditional cultural practices so as to be able to fit in the new western oriented faith.
Thus, traditional African values such as ancestral sacrifice, initiation ceremonies,
traditional marriages and traditional priests change. Consequently, church liturgy,
Catholic indigenous priests, and catechists emerged among others.
The study concluded that Catholic missionary education as an ideological apparatus was
vital to the reinforcement of colonial exploitative structure in Uluguru. Moreover, as they
used education as a means for proselytization, missionaries provided a very poor
education, causing their students to be ill-equipped for future socio-economic
development.