Issue 11 | ...Celebrating the world’s richest continent | http://www.nomadafricamag.com | 45here has been much talk
and practice of imple-
menting Afro-centric cur-
riculums, with some
experts, not all, advocat-
ing programmes that em-
power African people,
focusing inward on all
things that surround us as
opposed to things that originate from
across the shores of Africa.
That concept is not unique and many
countries, including those outside of
Africa, have adapted their curricula to
include their own cultural identity and
ethos.
From the eco-systems of Silicon Valley
to the slums of Nairobi, and the
squeaky-clean streets of Doha, experts
are adamant that education as we know
it is changing. No longer does a for-
malised, structured educational system
serve global needs. The game has
changed to fostering creativity and in-
novation. The game has changed to
finding imaginative solutions. Panel ex-perts at summits and leading entrepre-
neurs have pointed to the significance
of a little bit of craziness, adaptation,
problem solving, innovation, teamwork
and disruption.
So where is Africa going in the field of
education? What kind of education is
most suited to serving the developmen-
tal needs of the continent and at the
same time making it globally competi-
tive? How is Africa going to harness its
vast human and natural resources in the
direction needed, as the Pan-African
icon Kwame Nkrumah put it, “To allow
the African genius full expression”?
More than 50 years ago, Nkrumah also
noted the need to equip students with
an understanding of the contemporary
world within the framework of African
civilisations, their histories, institutions,
and ideas. African studies was compul-
sory in the universities he built in Ghana.The historical paradigm
All over the continent, governments
have either settled with the legacy ofcolonial education or tinkered with re-
form. But one country that is serious
about changing the existing paradigm
to an appropriate educational system is
Uganda.
Bwesigye Bwa Mwesigire, a Ugandan
writer, lawyer and academic, writes in an
article culled in the online media plat-
form, This is Africa, about the decoloni-
sation process going on in Uganda.
“The African experience has been that
education during colonial times was
driven by missionaries. The conventional
wisdom suggests that this was mainly
through altruistic considerations – albeit
racially tinged – to bring light to the
Dark Continent and enlightenment to its
natives.”
The language used was the tongue of
the colonists. This western education
expanded the basic numeracy of na-
tives, introduced literacy and introduced
new technical skills. There was the good
and the bad. Most African leaders, past
and present went through a Western
education. It was elitist.t
From the shackles of colonialism to the technological advances that have
projected even the most primitive who are being dragged onto a digital high-speed train,
education in Africa has, is and always will be key to societies that are to prosper and be
regarded as equal players on a global scale.Words: BRUCE GERMAINEFocus Africa | Education: Will Africa Win?EDUCATION:
WILL AFRICA WIN THE FUTURE?