In part I of this essay (see bellow) , I started speculating on why the British Colonial Powers decided to establish Aden College, when it did Having brought forth a number of speculative theories I will now discuss them one by one with rebuttals whenever a rebuttal is deemed necessary. As I mentioned in my previous essay, this is highly personalized analysis, hence the importance of other alumni expressing their opinions. I received valuable contributions from Drs Adel Aulaqi and Isam Ghanem which I will refer to in this and/or other parts of this essay and which I have already posted on the website
Although speculative, I will try to use analytical approach of history based on Ibn Khaldoun's thoughts on historical analysis Ibn Khaldouns Muqaddimah or Prolegomena

Whether I did this adequately or not will be up to you to judge and for you to decisively correct.
Why I keep mentioning that this is more of speculative nature is simply because I do not have historical records related to the period. I am trying to get these (as does Aden College alumnus Ashraf Girgrah). If we are successful, be sure we shall keep you in the loop.
As Dr Adel Aulaqi ( our Aden College Alumnus and trained historian quite rightly says
"... the issue is fraught with many perspectives and requires great, sensitive but demanding analysis by the use of published and archival material as well as properly collected oral history.
The question must not be answered without a great deal of rigour that will stand to close external scrutiny .."
Now the theories I put forward:
One view states that the British wanted a group of half educated Adenis to work as office boys and clerks and other lowly ranks within the civil service hierarchy
Let me mention some quotations that refer to this hypothesis
On page 254 of the book "Teen life in the Middle East" edited by ʻAlī Akbar Mahdi one can read the following
" In 1950:, Aden College , a highly sophisticated school, modeled after the British Public school system was established ...education was rendered in English.
Although the main goal of education in Aden was to prepare clerks to fill the lower ranks of the civil service, it gave Adeni teens a limited access to modern education which paved the way for many graduates to obtain higher education in Middle Eastern and European colleges and universities'
Although this quote refers to the goal being "to prepare clerks" it, at the same time produces somewhat contradictory remarks in that it states that Aden College was "modeled after the British Public school system" and that it paved the way for many university graduates
(For those who do not know British public schools system refers to "leading , elite fee-charging independent secondary schools usually with boarding facilities". "Generally, they catered to the British aristocracy and to affluent middle-class families.. They are called "public" because many of them were incorporated by (public) statute and because they were not privately owned. By the end of the nineteenth century, the British public schools enjoyed tremendous prestige, not because they offered a high calibre of academic instruction but because they developed character in their pupils..."

I know something about public schools having been to one myself -Sevenoaks School. Kent. This was neither because I was aristocratic or affluent but simply because I was lucky enough to get a British council scholarship to attend that school.
Another reference to the "clerk producing" notion comes from Dr Adel Aulaqi (M.B,Ch.B ,DTM&H, FRCSEd MFPM (Pharmaceutical Medicine)MA (History) and an Aden College alumnus writes
"-- I remember that there was a division, similar to what was going on in UK itself, between assumed IQ-based "intellect/ brain power" and assumed predominant "mechanical aptitude". Hence the creation of the two schools, Aden College and the Technical Institutes.
Also, if I remember correctly, Aden College was initially to be the test-bed for the production of the "clerks" for the expanding commerce and office work!!! It is worth remembering that only very few actually earned a scholarship for higher education in reality. I do not have the figures but if my memory serves me correctly, out of an year group of some 80-100 students only 10-12 went into 6th form. Please correct me on this very important fact. ....
To my mind, in the end, the educational system with all its limitations, gave the area and its people a basis of education from which it could spring to a future based on an educational approach that was linked to the rest of the world. ..." (end of quote)
In keeping with Adel's reference to the small number of scholarships given , I found the following exchange regarding scholarships to Aden College students in Hansard ( British Parliament records) ( 05 June 1957)
Mr. Benn asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many Aden students who have qualified as doctors and engineers in each of the last five years did so on Government scholarships; what is the present annual rate of scholarships given to Aden students from the Technical Institute and the Aden College and if he is satisfied with the progress made.
Mr. Profumo: In the past five years one Government scholar has qualified as an engineer, none as a doctor. In this period 25 scholarships were awarded to pupils of Aden College including 13 in 1956. Awards to students from the Technical Institute will be considered when they have completed the course for the City and Guilds Final examination now being undertaken. The only limitation on the award of scholarships has been the number of suitably qualified candidates, but the education development programme is now beginning to show results and the number of awards can be expected to increase annually. I am satisfied with the progress made.
So Dr Aulaqi is right in that few had scholarships to UK at least until 1957
( As an aside it is is interesting to reminisce on what later became of Mr. Benn and Mr. Profumo:

In a column by Ali Mohamed Al Shaibani that appeared in Al Jamohoriah newspaper on 13/11/2009, we read
..."كان هذا يسير في اتجاه والانجليز يسيرون في اتجاه آخر، فهم لا يريدون علماء ولا يريدون خبراء وإنما يريدون كتاباً وفنيين صغاراً، كطبقة سطحية التعليم، محدودة الفهم، لمساعدة الخبراء وكبار الموظفين من الانجليز والهنود لتسيير الأعمال المكتبية، ويريدون كفاءات وقدرات في مواقع لا تحتاج أيادي ماهرة ولا تحتاج مبدعين.. فأنشأوا لهذا الغرض المدرسة المتوسطة وحرّموها على غير العدنيين تكريساً للتفرقة بين مواليد عدن ومواليد المناطق المجاورة لها جنوبية كانت أم شمالية، كما أنشأوا كلية عدن للغرض نفسه.
Be it as it may, it seems to me that If the only intention of the British was indeed to produce clerks then this is not reflected in the content of the curriculum itself, the choice of subjects taught and the plans set forth to deal with the bright students.

It seems to me that they would not set it up to emulate the British public school system had they had the clerks-producing factory in mind. Those of us educated there would remember the long hours spent learning high mathematics and science in all its branches (physics, biology and chemistry). This would hardly have been necessary if all that was required was to produce clerks,
The extensive extracurricular activities (sports, music, societal work, scouting, cadet training, acting ) would equally have been unnecessary for breeding clerks, I would have thought. These various activities have been amply illustrated narratively and photographically by Isam Ghanem, Abdulla Oqba and Shihab Ghanem on the website .

Another view might contend that the whole exercise of establishing is at the core of it a colonial exercise calculated to rear an influential pro-British anti national anti Islamic substrate of natives who would serve as British appeasers. This view would of course would be logically diametrically contrary to the previous view since it would be difficult to reconcile a school geared to produce clerks to be at the same time a school that fits the elites and to teach a group effective enough to be British flag bearers.
There is no doubt that there was an emphasis in teaching the English language and literature as well as British history. There is no doubt that Imperial powers throughout history have expended much energy and resources in developing loyal natives using special educational means and avenues , missionary works and empowerment
In the same article by Ali Mohamed Al Shaibani that appeared in Al Jamohoriah newspaper on 13/11/2009, we read
فكان من مخرجاتها(يعني كليه عدن) من واصلوا دراستهم في بريطانيا، ليعود البعض منهم يحمل في نفسه بغض الانجليز الذين هيأوا لشعوبهم حياة مختلفة عن الحياة التي هيأوها للشعوب المحتلة، فهم يعيشون هناك حياة الرفاه والازدهار، حياة قوامها العلم والمعرفة والنظام والعدل.. فأين نحن من هذا كله؟!.
أما بعضهم الآخر فقد عادوا وقلوبهم مفعمة بحب الانجليز، إعجاباً بهم، ساخطين على مجتمعهم الذي يرونه عاجزاً أن يتقدم خطوة واحدة نحو التقدم الحقيقي، وكأنهم لا يعلمون أن مجتمعهم يخضع في الأصل لإرادة الانجليز وليس له الخيار أن يتقدم أو لا يتقدم.. فـالانـجـلـيـز يـريـدونـنـا أن نـبـقـى عـلـى حـالـنـا «زبـائـن» نـسـتـهـلـك صـنـاعـاتـهم، ووعـاءً لـلـجـهـل، لا نـعـلـم حـتـى إنـنـا جـهـلاء وفـقــراء ومـتـخـلــفــون.
Nevertheless, I doubt if the establishment of Aden College was designed for such a purpose
Those who espouse this view would find it difficult to square this with the realities that came to be immediately before the independence. And would agree that if such was the objective for establishing the College then this was not totally successful. There are recorded details that Aden College students formed active cells that were involved in the independence movement and carried out many politically motivated demonstions, workers' union activities and the like. Indeed a number of College alumni became leading figures in the independence movement and many became Ministers
In p 210 of chapter on "the cultural Development of PDRY in "Economy, society & culture in contemporary Yemen edited by B.R. Pridham., University of Exeter. Centre for Arab Gulf Studies, we read
"Aden College was opened in 1950....organized on the British Public School system. Only few students were accepted each year and the college was provided with the best teachers and equipment and ultramodern laboratories ...It dominated the cultural and educational scene throughout the 50s and 60s ; it is worth noting that most of the intelligentsia, ministers and administrators of pre and post independence were educated at Aden College. Cultural development in Aden and the Protectorate cannot be studied without mentioning the effect of this school" (end of quote)
There are also a number of alumni who became well known Arabic language and Islamic scholars These were instrumental in spreading Islamic thoughts and Arabic language widely A good example to be mentioned here is Aden College Alumnus Dr Mohamed Ali Al Bar
Then there are those who would say that the College was set up simply to serve and reward the elite of society by educating the children of the influential families of Aden and the Sultans and Sheikhs of the protectorate. In other words, it is an elitist institution that enhanced societal polarization and sectoring. I have no figures to show if such influential families were over represented in the student population or not and it would be interesting to look into this.

There is no doubt that many of the students of Aden College came from prominent influential Adeni family as well as sons of Sultans and Sheikhs of the protectorate.. But even if this were found to be the case the next litmus test to undertake is to investigate whether this overrepresentation was justified and based on higher achievements of pupils from these families or was it because of preferential unfair treatment (reverse affirmative action, so to speak)

Another interesting test to do -to investigate if these elite families were indeed given an unfair advantage/preference to enter the college over others- would be to look into the dropout rates and GCE results among them as one would assume that the GCE results-being performed by London and Cambridge Universities were beyond unfair interference (hopefully)
In page 115 of "Contemporary Yemen: politics and historical background" By B. R. Pridham, University of Exeter. Centre for Arab Gulf Studies we read
"From 1956 a GCE Advanced Level was started for some of the best students who completed secondary school in with more than 6 passes in GCE O level. Higher education was possible for a handful of bright students of the privileged class or those children from other social classes with very sharp and intelligent faculties" end of quote.
The final theory I put forward explaining the establishment of Aden College holds a non conspiratorial contention and argues that Aden College was simply established as a result of a new scheme taken by Westminster Government in the fifties to simply provide good, albeit limited, scholastic opportunities to the British colonies at the time. One could put forth such ab argument as being valid basing this on the extent to which Aden College was modeled on successful British Public schools and on what was happening in the other British colonies at the time from the Educational services point of view.
For example "in Africa Institutions of higher learning were improved and increased in number: university colleges were established at Accra and Ibadan in 1948, at Makerere in 1949, and at Khartoum in 1951; a College of Technology (later, University of Science and Technology) was founded in Kumasi in 1951; and the Royal Technical College of East Africa (later, University College) was founded in Nairobi in 1954. Beginning in 1950, development plans for the various colonies-Ghana (the Gold Coast), Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanganyika-contributed to educational progress". Encyclopedia BritannicaAs I mentioned earlier, I am in the process of trying to get official documentation of the period with regards to Aden College and if I am successful I will surely share this with you
I am also hopeful for your inputs and insights
In future articles, I will attempt to cover the following areas
1. If the College deserves to be emulated and replicated, the first premise er need to establish as being true is that Aden College has pursued a successful educational strategy.
2. In order to do that one needs to put forward universally accepted indicators of a successful educational institution. I am no expert in educational strategies but I know, like most parents do , what our children ought to gain from the schools they attend.
3. Once I have done so, I will then attempt to describe what in my view were the ingredients that made Aden College a highly successful project.
4. Finally I will have a go at speculating and what might have been and how the experience- what I would call the "the Aden College Phenomenon" can be replicated

Aden College Phenomenon

The Aden College Phenomenon
The recipe of successful educational strategy -the ingredients that made Aden College what it was- the College with a heritage and alumni with accomplishment
(part 1)