Education and Neocolonialism: A Note

Abstract

COLONIALISM MAY BE DEFINED as the direct political, economic and educational control of one nation over another. These brief notes seek to go beyond the data presented in this issue and to suggest that, in many countries, some aspects of colonialism still exist, although the means of external influence or control is no longer direct. Analysts and policy makers must be sensitive to the still powerful role of advanced nations in their former colonies or in other developing countries. For lack of a better term, we shall use to designate the continued post-colonial impact of advanced industrial countries on the educational systems and policies as well as the intellectual life of developing areas. Modern neocolonialism does not involve direct political control and leaves substantial leeway to the developing country. However, some aspects of domination by the advanced nation over the developing country remain. Neocolonialism is partly a planned policy of advanced nations to maintain their influence in developing countries, but it is also simply a continuation of past practices. This essay points to some of the important aspects of this situation and raises questions for further analysis. The following list of areas of influence is mainly to suggest the scope of this issue. 1. The educational systems of most developing countries, on almost all levels, remain rooted in the administrative structures of the former colonial rulers. The colonial power may not be the direct cause of this situation, but the fact that the structure and organization of the schools reflect a foreign model necessarily has an impact on the nature of the education provided. 2. The curriculum of the schools and colleges often reflects orientations of the former colonial rulers or of other advanced countries which provide assistance or are for some other reason powerful in the affairs of the given developing country. Textbooks are imported from advanced countries, and occasionally expatriate teachers can be found in the schools and particularly in the universities. Curriculum and other qualitative aspects of education have sometimes been severely neglected in developing countries because efforts lhave been concentrated on quantitative expansion. 3. The language of the former colonial power remains the medium of instruction in education in some developing countries. This is important for the nature of the etduicational system, the values inculcated, andl the availability of ehducation to wide sections of the population. 4. Foreign aid and technical assistance such as help in designing curriculum,