INCLUSION OF AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY IN CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN EDUCATION SYSTEMS AS A KEY PHILOSOPHICAL ORIENTATION IN TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATIONAL IDEOLOGY

Abstract

In most if not all, African countries since their independences education still lacks Africanness and education discourse has focused on two related developmental issues. The need to change a Western influenced education orientation linked to undermining African intellectual capabilities and knowledge systems. On the other hand, some Afrocentric scholars have criticized the paid-labour-technocratic literacy education systems adopted by African countries from colonialism after independences as Western conservative and reaffirming schooling as a guardian of Western civilisations. This paper presented a summary of major theoretical and historical perspectives on why African philosophy currently continue to remain excluded as the most dominate philosophy of education in African education institutions in contrast to time and efforts granted Western philosophies of education. This paper argued that lack of Afrocentrism in education hinders self-actualisation, multi-culturalism, democracy, freedom of choice, academic diversity, independent thinking hence restricting sustainable education, self-driven development, but furthering African intellectual, design and technology dependency on the west. This paper concluded by calling for refurbishment and redefinition of the purpose of education and the nature of how teachers are trained since they are agents of change and disseminators of developmental goals. Contemporary African education and teacher training to target schooling as an agent of modernity, democracy, difference, diversity, cultural and socio-economic relevance was recommended. Above all recognition and inclusion of indigenous knowledge and other aspects of African philosophy were recommended too. This research took a qualitative paradigm. Using purposive sampling-data was collected from both primary and secondary documentary sources from libraries and the internet using the ‘Analytical Model of Constant Comparison’. Data collection and analysis took place simultaneously. Article visualizations: