African philosophy (of education) and post-apartheid South African schools: a critical analysis of the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement

A Kenyan philosopher, Henry Odera Oruka (1944-1995), conceptualised and articulated the six trends in African philosophy. These are ethno-philosophy, nationalistic-ideological philosophy, artistic (or literary philosophy), professional philosophy, philosophic sagacity and hermeneutic philosophy. In this article, we maintain that the last three of these trends, namely professional philosophy, philosophic sagacity, and hermeneutic philosophy, are useful in our attempt to contribute to Africanising the school history curriculum (SHC) in the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) in post-apartheid South Africa. Against this background, we make use of Maton's (2014) Epistemic-Pedagogic Device (EPD), building on from Bernstein's (1975) Pedagogic Device as a theoretical framework to view African philosophy and its implications for the Africanisation of the SHC in CAPS in post-apartheid South Africa. Through the lens of Maton's EPD, we show how the CAPS' philosophy of education is questionable; untenable since it promotes 'differences of content'; and is at the crossroads, i.e., it is stretched and pulled in different directions in schools. Ultimately, we argue that Oruka's three trends form a three-piece suit advertising one's academic discipline (professional philosophy); showing South Africa's rich history told in the words ofAfrican elders (sage philosophy); and imploring school history learners to embark on a restless, unfinished quest for knowledge in the classrooms in post-apartheid South Africa.

The debate on African Indigenous knowledge systems and their link with African cultural practices and belief systems has elicited serious debates. The colonial administrators and their Christian missionary associates viewed African traditional or Indigenous knowledge and educational systems as unscientific, illogical, anti-development, and ungodly. This jaundiced view of African knowledge systems must have informed the apparent neglect of research on African education and cultural belief systems. This is in spite of the fact that the 1997 Global Knowledge Conference in Toronto, Canada, urged people to urgently learn, preserve, and exchange Indigenous knowledge. In Africa, Indigenous education is culture based on the methods and means of instruction used by different societies to impart their values and mores with the aim of attaining their societal/culturally specific visions, goals, and aspirations. For the Igbo, the latter statement is very true as evident in some of the proverbs, witticisms, aphorisms, and adages about education and culture. These bodies of knowledge emphasize conscious and refined methods of acquisition, and dissemination of knowledge of societal values, philosophy, and hermeneutics. Given these merits, it would be germane for serious scholarly research to be conducted among the Igbo, who of all in current context appear to be more “Catholic than the Pope” among other ethnic groups of equal standing in Africa. Anchored on the qualitative method of research, and field investigations, the present study intends to interrogate the nexus between cultural practices, belief systems, and education in traditional African society using Igboland as a case study. Questions to be addressed include but are not limited to, how was knowledge transmitted in preliterate Igbo societies, are those strategies still relevant, if not what are the options available? If relevant, how do we incorporate them to suit present realities?

In this essay I explore some of the ramifications that the Western discourse of postmodernism may have on the notion of rationality in African philosophy and indigenous African knowledge systems in general. I conclude by arguing that the merits of such a discourse include its acknowledgment of alternative forms of reasoning and their accompanying cultural expressions; its insistence that knowledge production is not independent of moral and political value; its grounding of rationality in social relations; and, its recognition of the role of commitment, caring and feeling in rationality – all of which speak of the true essence of indigenous African knowledge systems. Keywords:Rationality, postmodernism, African philosophy, discourse. Indilinga Vol. 6 (1) 2007 pp. 1-13

The colonial university has long existed as a site of traumatic incorporation of western knowledge systems into the lives of indigenous populations across the world. Western academic styles of teaching and learning in South Africa reenact indigenous traumas of violent loss of identity and the spiritual relationship to the wider world of self, family, community, ancestors and the environment on which the indigenous South African health model is based. As a result, academia in South Africa becomes a space in which the trauma of violent and unequal incorporation into the colonial social world is reproduced. Like other societies shaped by settler colonial domination, South African education systems have historically excluded indigenous knowledge systems and indigenous identities through both violent and subtle methods, including language and appearance policies aimed at disciplining and subduing the indigenous body. What has been termed ‘intellectual colonization’ sees the ongoing dismissal of African Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AIKS) as inferior, or as a resource to exploit. AIKS have been an object of study for anthropologists since the discipline’s inception, but the ontological possibilities it offers to transforming teaching practice from within have not been taken up. This has subsequently led to a situation in which academia exists as an unsafe space for indigenous people to engage with knowledge. There has been much discussion about the decolonization of education in South Africa, but very rarely are these decolonial discussion efforts met with actual change in pedagogical approaches. We reflect here on attempts to integrate indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) into the curriculum and pedagogical approach of an Anthropology Hons course in an English-Medium South African university in the Eastern Cape, Rhodes University. We argue that sharing understanding of content, and incorporating teaching practices, from an AIKS approach can enhance learning, and complement existing academic practices of text-based enquiry to produce a knowledge-transmission experience grounded in indigenous modes of learning which might mitigate the violence and trauma of the colonial university’s locking of students into one ontological frame presented as ‘normal’. Keywords: indigenous knowledge systems (IKS), decolonization, indigenous health models, university pedagogy.

In the opinion of some philosophers, African philosophy, vis-a-vis Western philosophy, African philosophy depicts no more than a particularist exemplar of the universal (Western) philosophy. This paper questions this assumption and demonstrates that, as a human undertaking, all philosophies remain context-dependent and cultureoriented. A contrary view ignores the proper nature of philosophy. A new phenomenon confronts currently confronts all comers to contemporary African philosophy: an expansive vision of African philosophical discourse. Contemporary African philosophers attempt to rethink the initial problems that confronted their pioneer counterparts. Whereas the pioneer African philosophers disputed one another on meta-philosophical issues about African philosophy, their successors, in their bid to give a novel response to those problems, end up introducing innovative frameworks, entirely fresh perspectives, new themes and solutions. As a consequence, they face new challenges. This paper underlines, in broad outline, some of the challenges and urges possible ways to their resolution. Keywords: African identity, hermeneutics and culture, ethnocentric commitment, epistemic impasse

ABSTRACTAfrica has rich traditions and knowledge systems founded on the principles of caring for one another and the spirit of mutual support embedded in the African philosophy of Ubuntu. These collective values tend to be marginalised in international human rights standards built on western values. The standards were developed without broad-based consultation of the different value systems in Africa. Therefore, in order to inspire sustainable implementation among diverse cultures, dialogue to develop universal human rights and obligations based on the diversity of cultures and ways of knowing is needed. Using South Africa's experience at two universities, the extent to which these institutions have attempted to incorporate African indigenous knowledge systems (AIKS) and human rights into the higher education curriculum is investigated. The implications for higher education and the human rights and development paradigms built on western knowledge systems are investigated. North-West University has been the pioneer of integrating AIKS into higher education in South Africa and is the only higher education institution in South Africa with an accredited IKS Teaching Programme at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels – which has been notably successful, albeit with some challenges. AIKS has also been integrated into research and teaching at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and has registered significant successes since 2012. The need to embed AIKS in the curriculum of higher education institutions is affirmed.

This open access book analyzes the limitations of top-down intervention programs designed by the state to address the problem of unemployment among marginalized communities in Africa and foregrounds the centrality of IKS in fostering entrepreneurship. Samuel Ojo Oloruntoba, Inocent Moyo, and Lethiwe Zondo examine the solutions to these problems within the ongoing debate on decolonization of knowledge and epistemic justice. The contributors argue that when the voices of the marginalized communities are taken into consideration in the design of employment and entrepreneurship policies, such policies would be more effective, affirming the agency and rights within these communities. Using case studies and theoretical research, this book investigates how a better engagement with marginalized communities and indigenous knowledges in the design of entrepreneurship and employment policies could foster more positive outcomes in Africa. This book recenters the voices of Indigenous youth within entrepreneurship programs to highlight the interests, priorities, and challenges of these communities. This edited volume was produced in the context of the African Indigenous Knowledge Research Network (AIKRN) in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. This was a two-year initiative that ran between 2023 and 2025 to uncover and promote sustainable and scalable opportunities for youth employment grounded in Indigenous African knowledge systems and values. The views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the Mastercard Foundation, its staff, or its Board of Directors. The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access provided in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.

Philosophy and philosophy of education cannot be separated; both have a very close relationship. Moreover, the philosophy of Islamic education undeniably has a connection with Western educational philosophy as an initial inspirator of the philosophical movement in Islam. This research is a qualitative study with a literature review. The data is taken from various related literatures. The focus is on (1) the relationship between Philosophy and Philosophy of Education, (2) the historical development of Western philosophy of education, (3) the historical development of Islamic philosophy of education, and (4) the comparison of Western and Islamic philosophy of education. The results are: (1) philosophy of education is defined as a normative science in the domain of education, (2) philosophy of education focuses on two normative scientific functions: formulating the foundation, goals, and understanding of the nature of humans, as well as the essence of the realm of education, (3) Western philosophy of education tends to emphasize education oriented towards progress and prioritizes logic, (4) Islamic philosophy of education emerged due to the advancement of Islam during the Abbasid golden age, (5) the similarities between Western and Islamic philosophy of education lie in nativistic, empiricist, and convergence theories, while the differences are that Western philosophy is anthropocentric and Islamic philosophy is theocentric, Western philosophy is based on human thought, Islamic philosophy is based on revelation dialogued with reason, Western philosophy focuses on knowledge, Islamic philosophy bases itself as a religion, Western philosophy considers evaluation to be done by oneself and others, while Islamic philosophy it to be done by oneself, others, and God.

Application of African indigenous knowledge systems and practices for climate change and disaster risk management for policy formulation

South Africa's new and revised National Curriculum Statement implicitly suggests the integration of indigenous knowledge (IK) into the science curriculum so that learners can, inter alia, learn within the context of their cultural knowledge. Unfortunately, teachers do not necessarily know about the various indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) within South Africa. We therefore decided to identify the ideas of traditional health practitioners (THPs) concerning what children need to know, and then to obtain science teachers' responses to these ideas. In this pilot study in the Western Cape, we used a qualitative approach and conducted in-depth interviews with a small group of THPs, with a follow-up questionnaire and discussion with a larger group. We then shared the THPs' ideas with both experienced science educators and high school science teachers. Our results show that THPs think that South African learners need to know about and respect their heritages, especially African IKS. They emphasized the importance of learning about health and freedom from disease, particularly HIV/AIDS. The THPs believe that both science and IK are important in the education of learners, and that they could co-teach their IK in conjunction with science topics. They suggested how they could do this. They believe that science teachers need to learn about IK, and suggested that THPs could learn some science. Both groups of science teachers were interested in, and strongly supportive of the THP suggestions. They also emphasized that IK needs to be standardized and validated by an indigenous organization.

Indigenous rights, knowledge, and value systems are linked inextricably to the lands, waters, and non-human beings that form the environments of Indigenous Peoples. Across the globe, the rights of Indigenous peoples are being formally recognized and as a result, efforts are being made to include Indigenous Knowledge and value systems in environmental policy and decision making. Scientists and decision makers must not only recognize this reality, but also operationalize these efforts through meaningful changes to create space for the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge, Indigenous values, and sovereignty within the current methods for scientific enquiry and the development of environmental policies. Professionals in the environmental field have a responsibility to ensure that their work has a positive impact on Indigenous Peoples and their environments. In this study, we explore the concept of consultation and informed consent through the lens of the development of environmental policy and decision making. We will discuss these concepts in the context of ecological risk assessment related to a case study focused on contaminated sediment in a harbor within the Great Lakes. We will demonstrate a process that deconstructs the current protocols for risk assessments at sites with localized pollutants in sediment and rebuilds them with elements that recognize both Western and Indigenous knowledge systems. This process includes collaborative fieldwork, relationship building, and informal and formal interviews with participants and community members. By utilizing such approaches, we were able to develop a risk assessment framework that recognizes the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples and promotes effective Nation-to-Nation decision making.

There is currently a debate on the role of modern and indigenous knowledge systems in the smallholder farming sector. While the modern knowledge systems have been viewed as superior and are being touted as key towards meeting sustainable development goals, especially goal two of eradicating hunger, the performance of smallholder farmers utilising modern systems remains below expectations. The performance of farmers using indigenous knowledge systems has not resulted in better outcomes either. There are growing calls for an integration of the two knowledge systems to co-produce solutions relevant to smallholder farmers. However, not much is known about the extent to which this is already happening, how the integration is happening, and welfare effects of this integration. This paper assessed the extent to which smallholder irrigators integrate indigenous and modern knowledge; and whether this integration has resulted in improvements in cost reduction, productivity, and welfare levels. A sample size of 392 farmers in four irrigation schemes of KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape were interviewed. The results showed that the majority (52%) of the farmers integrated knowledge systems, while 10% and 38% relied on indigenous and modern systems, respectively. Farmers actively incorporated modern knowledge to enhance their traditional practices in their production methods in response to local challenges or opportunities. The results indicate that high maize yields attained by modern users were eroded by high inputs cost, while integrators were able to significantly reduce input costs (such as fertilizer, pesticide, herbicide costs) and the money saved was used to purchase more food, hence improving household food security. The results suggest that government, private institutions and NGOs should build on farmers’ agencies to plug-in modern knowledge into the indigenous knowledge systems through appropriate research and innovations rather than completely replacing indigenous systems with modern farming systems. Extension officers should change their mindset and acknowledge the importance of integrating indigenous knowledge into their training so that what is relevant to farmers may be adopted, thus enhancing sustainability and resilience of development efforts in developing countries.

Indigenous African knowledge systems are concerned with local knowledge. But the question that this raises is how valid is such local knowledge? Can such local knowledge be generalized and claim universal validity? Or stated differently, what is the epistemic foundation of local knowledge? This article sets out to reflect critically on the epistemic status of local knowledge and concludes with a defence of local knowledge based on work done in the anthropology of science. Keywords: Indigenous knowledge systems, local knowledge, anthropology of science.Indilinga Vol. 5 (2) 2006: pp. 1-11

Aim: Developing and promoting a culturally relevant school curriculum in the teaching and learning environment is one step to overcoming systemic inequalities and closing the education achievement gap of learners of African descent. This paper proposes methodological approaches for integrating African Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AIKS) into Cameroon's formal education system to promote cultural relevance and educational equity. Methods: This paper is conceptual in nature with contextual narrative analysis of empirical literature. This paper was anchored on the Integrated Theoretical Framework by Dasen, 2003 and the Developmental Niche Theory by Super & Harkness, 1986. Results: The issue of education in Africa and Cameroon in particular, has been central to the curriculum development process since independence and reunification to the present. Post-colonial school curricula in Cameroon are mostly dominated by western values, knowledge and pedagogies at the expense of indigenous knowledge and epistemologies. Integrating African indigenous knowledge systems (AIKS) into Cameroon's educational system could improve its relevance. This is due to the holistic, community-based nature and approach of AIKS to education and knowledge production. However, this requires an African indigenous theoretical framework of knowledge to guide the integration process. The framework should also clarify the relevance of African Indigenous languages in knowledge production and share in the era of globalisation. Conclusion: Researchers have highlighted the need for inclusion of indigenous knowledge systems in formal schooling but there is little literature as to how exactly these systems can be included. Recommendation: The methodology to include indigenous knowledge systems in schools include but are not limited to: Inclusion as Independent Subjects and inclusion as Instructional and Learning Methods in Mainstream Subjects (e.g., curriculum reform processes, teacher training needs, community involvement). The Role of Elders in Teaching Indigenous Knowledge Systems.

How might a researcher use Indigenous African knowledge systems to develop a decolonial dance education research paradigm and scholarly writing? What Indigenous African knowledge systems can anchor dance education research? These questions have been critical in framing the decolonial dance education research and writing paradigm that the author uses as a researcher. In this chapter, the author draws on his autoethnographic reflections to critically examine how he has developed and applied the African philosophy of Ubuntu as a hermeneutic phenomenology to frame the ethics, agenda, logic, conceptualization, spirit, contextualization, and vision of his research projects in Indigenous dance practices. The analysis unpacks the author’s reflexivity and positionality as being-in-the-world and being-with-others-in-the-world of fieldwork. Moreover, the article dissects how the Kiganda tradition of okuluka omukeeka (weaving the mat) provides a methodological formula, logic, and creed that the author has employed to conduct fieldwork, analyze data, and write scholarly works. These decolonial paradigms, which confront, decenter, and critique the existing hegemonic Anglo-European research and writing canons, reveal the complex possibilities and pathways that are available for dance researchers to engage Indigenous knowledge systems as valuable and valid markers in the process of decolonizing academic research and writing in dance education.