Nairobi School’s journey through racial discrimination

In his book, The Struggle for the School, John Anderson begins by stating, “The Europeans did not bring the idea of formal education to Africa; in many ways this had been established in African societies long before their arrival.

Yet through such practices as grouping children into classrooms for regular daily lessons, emphasising the importance of reading and writing, and showing particular concern over examination results and certificates, Europeans have done much to shape Africa’s more recent understanding of the school.”

As soon as the European type of school was established in Africa, it was assumed by both the colonist and the African, to hold the key to economic and political advancement. But there was an underlying premise that due to Africa’s lack of technical development and her peoples’ apparent need for instruction to prepare them face the conditions of a civilised world, there was justification for a form of imperialism.

In defining its responsibilities over the mandated territories after World War 1, the League of Nations appeared to append a seal of approval over this view by stating:

“The well-being and development of such peoples, not yet able to stand by themselves under the strenuous conditions of the modern world, form a sacred trust of civilisation. The best way of giving practical effect to this principle is that the tutelage of such people shall be entrusted to advanced nations.”

In 1902, the European Nairobi School was started to cater for the families of the Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEAC) and later those of European settlers. It consisted of a few rooms near the Railway Station on the current grounds of the Railway Club.

The Frazer Report of 1909 recommended the establishment of separate educational systems for Europeans, Asians and Africans. In 1910, the European Nairobi School relocated to the hilly grounds on Protectorate Road (Mamlaka Road) where Nairobi Primary School is situated.

By 1925, the provision of education for European children left much to be desired with the only government school being located in the former European barracks on Nairobi Hill. The examination results for the European Nairobi School were so poor that year compared to those of Asian pupils, they had to be suppressed.

Lord Delamere woud have none of this threat to European dominance and later that year he proposed the building of a senior school for boys on a grand scale. The Director of Education opposed the idea of spending a large sum of money on such “grandeur and extravagance”.

But Lord Delamere was a powerful man and he had the ear of the Governor, Sir Edward Grigg, who went ahead to allocate some 250 acres of land for the school near Kabete despite much opposition. The Governor defended the “provision of spacious public buildings designed with grace and dignity as an inspiration to a young country, a tribute to the faith and vision of those who were building its future…”

In the meantime, the development and running of schools for Africans had largely been left in the hands of missionaries with little support from the government.

Coins were buried

In 1927, Sir Edward commissioned the famed British Architect of Empire, Sir Herbert Baker, to design a school similar to Winchester School in Southern England which both he and Lord Delamere had attended. Captain B.W.L. Nicholson from the Royal Navy College, Dartmouth, was appointed Headmaster of European Nairobi School, while planning for the new boy’s school to be built at Kabete (the current Nairobi School grounds).

The foundation stone was laid by Sir Edward on September 24 , 1929, in the area directly below the clocktower where a copy of the East African Standard newspaper and coins of the colony were buried and remain to date.

The school was to be named Kabete Boys Secondary School but Captain Nicholson felt that such a pedestrian local name would not do for this imposing bastion of European dominance. Special dispensation was sought and approved for His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales, to lend his title and the ostrich feathers on his crown to the school.

Thus the school was opened in 1931 as the Prince of Wales School with the ostrich feathers appearing on the school badge. Around this time the European Nairobi School was divided into three distinct schools; Nairobi Primary School, European Girls Secondary School (renamed The Kenya High School in 1939) situated next to the primary school and the Prince of Wales School for boys. Since then Kenya High has affectionately been referred to as the “Boma” of heifers and Prince of Wales as the “Patch” of cabbages!

Built to a neo-classical design, walls are constructed in stone, rendered and painted white externally beneath a Mangalore tiled roof. The dormitories are arranged around a quadrangle abutting the main administration block to the rear. It is yet another example of Sir Herbert Baker’s architectural genius.

During World War 11 part of the school was converted into a military hospital. In 1962 the Prince of Wales became a multiracial school admitting one African and five Asian boys. The name of the school was changed to Nairobi School in 1965.

The first rugby match in Kenya was played in Eldoret in 1909 between the British and Afrikaaner settlers. From then on, rugby was a game played exclusively by Europeans.

However, as more African students were admitted to Nairobi School and other former European schools such as Lenana and Rift Valley Academy, they began to produce a crop of highly talented African players. By the early 1970s the African players were a formidable force against the white-only clubs and they went a long way in breaking the colour bar through rugby.

It is paradoxical that the very institutions which were built to divide us along the lines of colour should later, down the line in history, be the same ones to help break down those barriers. Nairobi School is a gazetted national monument.

The author is a retired banker and motorcycle enthusiast. E-mail [email protected].