Student political consciousness: Lessons from a Namibian mission school

Innovating Teaching Methods to Improve The Quality of Human Resources: Necessity and Challenges

“…However, in the current Vietnamese higher education environment, although there are many changes (especially in terms of methods), those changes still take place cautiously and not thoroughly. In other words, traditional teaching methods are still quite popular and account for the majority of current teaching methods [18]. The current state of traditional education methods shows that there are many shortcomings: About the teacher's teaching: passive class through lessons, teacher-centered, lecturer focuses on presentation (even just reading for students to copy) [6,18].…”

“…In other words, traditional teaching methods are still quite popular and account for the majority of current teaching methods [18]. The current state of traditional education methods shows that there are many shortcomings: About the teacher's teaching: passive class through lessons, teacher-centered, lecturer focuses on presentation (even just reading for students to copy) [6,18]. In the past few years, when application software appeared, very few instructors prepared Slides and presentations for students to see, speak and analyze.…”

Rethinking burgeoning political consciousness: student activists, the Class of ‘99 and political intent in Sierra Leone

“…Few articles on student movements in Africa assess deeper motivations. Williams (2004: 556–7) meticulously documents how political consciousness developed among Namibian students in the 1970s, in solidarity with South African students' nation-building project, but falls short of probing why students would suffer the expulsion and exile that many of them experienced, simply so that ‘the nation’ could benefit. Similarly, Sharp (2002: 33–5) documents that Malagasy students struck to overthrow French rule and French favouritism, but not what benefits, if any, they hoped to accrue by doing so.…”

“…Participation in politics was part of the goal when propping up the NPRC and hoping for ministerial appointments. Participation cannot be viewed just as a coincidental outcome; for example, Williams (2004: 557) noted that many former student activists in Namibia are now ministers because their political experiences shaped their consciousness. Desire to participate was always part of the equation.…”

“…When students in Africa rise en masse and spring into organised political action, what is it they are really fighting for? Students have served as the political vanguard in wholesale political changes imposed from above (Donham 1999: 29, in Ethiopia), have led the way in nationalist revolutions (Sharp 2002: 33–5, in Madagascar), have acted in solidarity with workers striking for better wages and conditions (Mamdani 1996: 249, in South Africa), and have protested against repressive regimes that drain educational budgets (Williams 2004: 540, in Namibia; Klopp & Orina 2002: 63, in Kenya). Most of these actions were part of a burgeoning political consciousness among the youth – a common theme in works dealing with student protest – and often served in retrospect as metonyms for sea change in their respective countries' struggles for self-government and democracy.…”