A New Pattern for the Mission: African Lovedalian Women’s Place in Education and Work

On January 31, 1871, missionaries and the parents of prospective students gathered for a meeting at Lovedale Missionary Institute, located in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. A total of fifty-one students applied for admittance that year, the largest number to date. In the previous admission year, a large amount of the funds at Lovedale came from its founding church, The Free Church of Scotland, which allowed for students to board and learn for free. However, this same offering was no longer sustainable. With a large number seeking admittance, missionaries realized that a meeting must be called to discuss admission fees for prospective Lovedalian students. Among those in attendance were the parents of prospective African students “...that came cheerfully forward and agreed to pay the sum when due…” After this meeting, the applicants took an entrance examination which covered topics such as literacy in English and their native language, math, and sciences. Following the exams completion, missionaries ranked the applicants for acceptance. Alongside proficiency on the exam, missionaries considered “status and recognition” in selecting students. As a result of this ranking process, Tause Soga was the number one selection for Lovedale’s Girls’ School.