African Philosophy and the Decolonisation of Education in Africa: Some critical reflections

Abstract

The liberation of Africa and its peoples from centuries of racially discriminatory colonial rule and domination has far‐reaching implications for educational thought and practice. The transformation of educational discourse in Africa requires a philosophical framework that respects diversity, acknowledges lived experience and challenges the hegemony of Western forms of universal knowledge. In this article I reflect critically on whether African philosophy, as a system of African knowledge(s), can provide a useful philosophical framework for the construction of empowering knowledge that will enable communities in Africa to participate in their own educational development.

Identity, Inequality, and Legitimacy: Religious Differences in Primary School Completion in Sub‐Saharan Africa

“…They cite its unclear financial benefits in local subsistence economies, its structure of removing students from the household economy for long periods of time, and its tendency to enhance goal frustration among young people by training them for the types of jobs that only the lucky few receive (Ansell 2004 ; 304 JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF RELIGION Buchman Bryceson 2002;Dunne 2007;Hartmann-Mahmud 2011;Schafer 2004). Scholars have also objected to the curriculum that continues to be used in state-sponsored schools in the wake of the colonial education agenda and under the influence of foreign aid, arguing that it is disconnected from the demands of local economies and indigenous modes of knowledge (Aikman 2011;Higgs 2012;Samoff and Carrol 2004).…”

On the possibility of fostering critical management studies in South Africa

“…It urges a basic reexamination of the relevance of the knowledge produced and disseminated by universities (and other higher education institutions) by way of the curricula they pass on to students. The notion of decolonisation of the curriculum also rallies for a shift in the 'geography of thought' away from a European or American focus toward a focus of African thought, knowledge and wisdom (Higgs 2012;#FeesMustFall 2015). CMS has the potential to deal with the challenge of the 'decolonisation of the curriculum' especially if CMS in the South African context is centred around issues of postcolonial discourse within the domain of business management.…”

Infusing African management philosophy into project management

“…It therefore becomes clear that education needs to be of benefit to all those who wish to become educated. Higgs (2012) argues that educational discourse in Africa requires a philosophical framework that:…”