Excerpts from the Article by K.S.Lyngdoh & A.Henia                                                             

In the 19th Century Christian Missions and Colonialism seemed to follow upon each other in Africa and Asia. Entry of the various Christian Missions into the North East regions was not under the dictate of the Imperial direction. It was purely the outcome of the individual enterprise and effort in association with Western Christian Missions to bring the light of the Gospel to the tribes.                                                               top

Thus Evangelization and preaching was their main focus, only to realize that such activities could not be fulfilled without basic literacy ability on the part of the people. On the other hand the British Officials were finding it difficult to control over their subjects due to poor, uncivilized and illiterate conditions of the people.                                                            top

Curiously the initiative for starting missionary enterprise came from the Govt. officials in all the North East Region. This was so because of the realization of the futility of the policy of Military Expedition in the hill areas.

So colonial power was benefited as they could launch their expansionist policy in the North East Frontier with the help of the educated natives.

The various missions along with their missionaries that came to the hills of the Khasi -Jaintia were :-                        top

1. The Serampare Baptist Mission

2. Welsh Calvinistic Methodists Foreign Mission : now( Welsh Presbyterian Church)

3. Roman Catholic Church Mission

4. The Seventh Day Adventist Church Mission     

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Missionary Efforts towards Educational Development in Jaintia Hill Areas :

Education and Evangelization of the tribe went hand-in- hand. One of the first thing they did was to learn the local dialects, put them in writing in Roman script, produced Primers for Schools and even translated the Bible to the local dialect, ultimately resorting to creative literacy writing. Thus the Cherra dialect became the standard Khasi for literature and was applied all over Khasi and Jaintia hills.                                               top

Development of education in Jaintia hills was at a slow pace, and the Welsh Presbyterian Mission established the first primary school in 1854 at Jowai. This marked the beginning of educational development in Jaintia hills. Notable native teachers was U Luh in the area apart from the other missionaries. Another school was opened at Lamin in 1859 later at Shangpung, Nongbah and Nongtalang in 1864. Further progress was halted due to mass revolt in Jaintia hills ( 1862-1864) or Anglo-Jaintia war against the British Government. Superstitious parents stopped their children from attending Schools opened by the foreign missionaries. Girls education was once a taboo, thanks to the efforts of the missionaries wives' things became better. Various techniques were adopted to help encourage education such as giving incentives in the form of money/garments to the students.                                        top

After the Jaintia rebellion was over, the Jaintia people started realizing the benefits of schooling. The British Govt. encouraged the missionaries by giving financial grants to their mission schools, the reason why the Welsh were able to establish schools at all important villages in Jaintia hills.

The Schools were all primary type, later Middle schools were set-up at Jowai & Shangpung. The Presbyterian Middle English School was upgraded into a High School in 1941. The first batch of the school appeared the Matriculation Examination under the Gauhati University in 1944 since then they continued to appear the same exam till 1962 when it was replaced by the Higher Secondary Board of Examination-Assam.

The Catholic Mission established the St. Mary Mazzarello School at Jowai in 1926. By 1931 there were about 87 schools managed by different organizations in the Jaintia hills area.

The Adventist Mission established the Adventist Training School at Jowai ( earlier called the Assam Training School)-started by Pastor O.W.Lange. It imparts both educational and vocational trainings.                                                                               top

English was the only medium of instruction used in some schools e.g. Adventist Training School. Other schools used the vernacular dialect in Roman letter ( Khasi dialect Cherra) and English as the medium of instruction. However for high school section, English was adopted as the medium of instruction and Khasi dialect was studied as a vernacular subject.

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The Catholic Missionaries started their pioneering work in the region by 1910. But they came out as a major force of bringing good educational standard in the area. Prominent missionaries like Rev. D.E.Becker is worth being acknowledged and mentioned in this context.                                      

The efforts made by the Missionaries and their sacrifices has led to the growth and modernization in the area. Had it not been for their contribution, the region would have had a very different scenario.                                                                                top

Context of Article shortened to make a synopsis : Er. Kenyir Olga J.N.Nongrum,NIC Official