A Critique and Rethink of Modern Education in Africa ' s Development in the 21st Century
Abstract
There has been an educational reform in Africa which has included the opening up of educational systems to market liberalisation. In this paper, we will illustrate the ways in which these reforms have been negative rather than positive for African education. The paper will critically analyse the reasons why the reforms have been inefficient. We will show how increasing social inequity and poverty are related to decreasing educational quality and increasing dropout rates. The African continent has the highest illiteracy rates in the world. The educational system is not contributing adequately to the development of Africa ' s human capabilities. Africa ' s knowledge has been omitted from the standard education curriculum. We claim that as long as local knowledge is not included, Africa will not develop on its own terms. We will conclude with some suggestions on ways in which to correct the problems created by market reforms and to move towards an education which is relevant to the social and developmental needs of Africa.References
Babaci-Wilhite, Z. (2009). Why is the choice of the language of instruction in which students learn best seldom made in Africa? A closer look at results from LOITASA project in Tanzania. Master thesis. University of Oslo: Institute for Educational Research.
Bidani, B., & M. Ravallion (1997). Decomposing social indicators Using distributional data, Journal of Econometrics, 77, No. 1, pp. 125 €“39.
Brock-Utne, B. (2002). Education and development: A developing theme. International Review of Education. Vol.48 (1/2). Pp. 45-65.
Brock-Utne, B. (2000). Whose Education for All? The Recolonization of the African Mind. New York/London: Falmer Press.
Brock-Utne, B. (2007a). Learning through a familiar language versus learning through a foreign language-A look into some secondary school classrooms in Tanzania. International Journal of Educational Development. Vol. 27. Pp. 487-498.
Brock-Utne, B. (2007b). Language of instruction and student performance: new insights from research in Tanzania and South Africa. International Review of Education. Vol.53. Pp. 509-530.
Geo-JaJa, M. A., & G. Mangum (2003). Economic adjustment, education and human resource development in Africa: The case of Nigeria, International Review of Education, 49(3-4): 293-318.
Geo-JaJa, M. A. (2004). Decentralization and privatization of education in Africa: Which option for Nigeria? Special Issue of International Review of Education, 50(3-4): 309-326.
Geo-JaJa, M. A. (2006). Educational decentralization, public spending, and social justice in Nigeria, International Review of Education, 52(1-2): 129-153.
Geo-JaJa, M. A., & X. Yang (2003). Rethinking globalization in Africa. Chimera, 1(1):19-28.
Hanushek E.A. (1995). Interpreting recent research on schooling in developing countries, World Bank Research Observer, l 10(2).
Geo-JaJa, M. A., & S. Azaiki (2010). Development and education challenges in the Niger Delta in Nigeria, In Geo-JaJa, M. A. and Majhanovich, S. (eds.), Education, language, and economics: Growing national and global dilemmas, Rotterdam: Sense Publishers
Hanushek, E.A. (2003). The failure of input-based schooling policies, Economic Journal, 113 (485): F64-F98.
Lopes, P. S. (2002). A comparative analysis of government social spending: Indicators and their correlation with social outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa, IMF Working Papers, WP/02/176, October.
Makalela, L. (2005). We Speak Eleven Tongues". Reconstructing Multilingualism in South Africa. In Brock-Utne, Birgit and Rodney Kofi Hopson (eds.): Languages of instruction for African emancipation: Focus on postcolonial contexts and considerations. Cape Town: CASAS and Dar es Salaam: Mkuki na Nyota. Pp. 147- 175. Also published by African Books Collective in Oxford. UK.
OECD/UIS (2006). Education counts: Benchmarking progress in 19 WEI Countries", World Education Indicators €“ 2006.
Prah, K. K. (2003). Going Native: Language of Instruction for Education, Development and African Emancipation. In: Brock-Utne Birgit, Zubeida Desai and Martha Qorro (eds). Language of instruction in Tanzania and South Africa (LOITASA), Dar es Salaam: E & D Publishing. Pp. 14-34.
Psacharopoulos, G. (1994). Returns to investment in education: A global update", World Development 22(9): 1325-1343.
Psacharopoulos, G. & H.A. Patrinos (2002). Returns to investment in education: A further update", Washington, DC: World Bank Policy Research Paper No. 2881.
Qorro, M. A.S. (2004). Popularising Kiswahili as the language of instruction through the media in Tanzania. In Brock-Utne, Birgit, Desai, Zubeida and Qorro, Martha, Researching the language of instruction in Tanzania and South Africa (LOITASA). Zanzibar: African Minds. Pp. 93-116.
Samoff, J. (1999a). Education sector analysis in Africa: limited national control and even less national ownership, International Journal of Educational Development 19(4-5): 249-272.
Samoff, J. (1999b). No teacher guide, no textbooks, no chairs: Contending with crisis in African education. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the African Studies Association (43rd, Philadelphia, PA, November 11-14).
Schultz, T. P. (2002). Why governments should invest more to educate girls", World Development, 30: 207-225.
Sengupta, A. (2002). On the theory and practice of the right to development", Human Rights Quarterly 24(4): 837-89.
Tikly, L. (2001). Globalization and education in the postcolonial world: Towards a conceptual framework, Comparative Education, 1360-0486, 37( 2): 151 €“ 171.
Tikly, L. (2003). The African renaissance, NEPAD and skills formation: An identification of key policy", International Journal of Educational Development 23(5): 543-564.
Tikly, L. (2004). Education and the new imperialism", Comparative Education, 40 (2): 173 €“ 198.
Tilak, J. B. G. (2002). Education and poverty", Journal of Human Development 3 (2): 191-207.
UNDP (1999). Human Development Report 1990. New York: Oxford University Press.
United Nations (1948). Universal Declarations of Human Rights. New York: The United Nations.
United Nations (2007). Millennium Development Goals Report 2007. New York: The United Nations.
Vuzo, M. (2007). Revisiting the Language Policy in Tanzania: A Comparative Study of Geography Classes Taught in Kiswahili and English. PhD thesis. University of Oslo, Institute for Educational Research, Faculty of Education.
World Bank (2005). Global Monitoring Report 2005. New York: Oxford University Press.
A Critique and Rethink of Modern Education in Africa ' s Development in the 21st Century
