The University College, Ibadan (UCI), founded in 1948 as an affiliate of the University of London, marked a pivotal moment in the expansion of higher education in colonial Nigeria. In the decade that followed, the growing demand for education, coupled with preparations for self-government, drove the need for more structured teacher training and educational research.
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Founding of the Institute of Education
In response to these needs, the Institute of Education (IoE) was established during the 1956–57 academic session. The Institute unified existing efforts in teacher education, educational research, and outreach that had been scattered across various departments. Its founding mirrored contemporary British models while adapting to Nigeria’s urgent requirement for qualified teachers and curriculum development to support mass education.
According to the Institute’s early records, the founding team comprised Constance Geary, Donald Miller, Alan Brimer, Robert Stone, and Noah Setidisho. This core group designed pioneering programmes in pedagogy, educational psychology, curriculum studies, and child development. By 1960, the IoE had grown to about forty-five students, reflecting rapid institutional consolidation and the start of Nigeria’s modern teacher-training tradition.
Alan Brimer: Scholarship and Influence
Among the early staff, M. A. (Alan) Brimer emerged as a central figure in research and teaching. His work focused on educational measurement, child study, and wastage in schooling, aligning closely with the IoE’s mission to improve educational quality through evidence-based research.
Archival and bibliographic sources, including ERIC and UNESCO records, document Brimer’s contributions through the late 1960s and early 1970s. His publication “Wastage in Education: A World Problem” (co-authored with L. Pauli, 1971) became an influential reference in international education research. Brimer’s interests bridged theory and practice, reflecting a concern for improving student outcomes and reducing inefficiencies in the school system.
Brimer also maintained academic ties with the University of Bristol’s School of Education, where he engaged with British and international research networks. His familiarity with post-war methods of testing and educational psychology informed his teaching and research at Ibadan, helping to embed quantitative evaluation and systematic measurement in Nigeria’s emerging educational science.
Building a Nigerian Educational Framework
In its early years, the IoE functioned as both a training ground and a consultancy hub for regional education ministries. Its staff advised on curriculum design, teacher assessment, and child development, often working directly with the Western Region Ministry of Education.
While many programmes drew from British precedents, IoE academics adapted them to Nigerian realities developing curricula relevant to local languages, social contexts, and resource constraints. The Institute’s graduates became teachers, inspectors, and education officers, helping to build the human infrastructure necessary for Nigeria’s expanding school system during the 1960s and 1970s.
Not every early claim about the Institute can be independently verified. For instance, although a 1955 seminar led by Brimer is sometimes mentioned in anecdotal accounts, no publicly accessible record confirms the event or its participants. However, documented evidence firmly establishes the Institute’s founding date, staff composition, and educational purpose, affirming its role in shaping Nigeria’s early postcolonial teacher education.
Enduring Legacy
The Institute of Education’s creation in the 1950s marked the institutionalisation of professional teacher training in Nigeria. It helped indigenise education research, producing local expertise in pedagogy, curriculum development, and measurement. Brimer’s methodological influence particularly his emphasis on testing, evaluation, and data-driven policy had a lasting impact on Nigerian educational scholarship.
As the Institute evolved from a small college unit into a key centre of a fully independent national university, it symbolised the transition from colonial educational structures to locally grounded academic systems. The work begun by Brimer and his colleagues provided the intellectual and technical foundation for Nigeria’s massive post-independence expansion of schooling.
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Author’s Note
Alan Brimer’s work at the Institute of Education helped transform teacher training in Nigeria from colonial imitation to research-based professionalism. His legacy endures in the principles of educational measurement and curriculum reform that remain central to Nigerian teacher education today.
References
Institute of Education, University of Ibadan “History of IoE, UI” (Official page).
ERIC / UNESCO Bibliographic Record Brimer, M. A. & Pauli, L. (1971). Wastage in Education: A World Problem.
