Reflecting on a ‘Waltz-Time’ Project: Efforts, Contentions and New Challenges in the Africanization of Education

Abstract

Africanization of education was a major policy option in most countries in Africa upon the attainment of independence and its relevance could not be overemphasized. More than half a century after, it behoves many to ask questions such as where are we with the project. Have we achieved it or are we still on the way to policy consolidation? Are there new contentions with this policy which require an ideological shift? The paper is a reflection of these issues. It discusses Africanization as an epistemicide and through a selected country representational literature review, examines efforts by some African states to Africanize their educational systems as well as the challenges that have been on the way. It observes that while implementation actually started in a few countries, the general picture could be termed ‘a waltz-time dance.’ It discusses some of the challenges and concludes that even within the context of globalization and the internationalization of education, the Africanization project is still as relevant as it was in the 1960s and should thus have its place in African policy reform endeavours. Keywords: Africanization of Education, , Decolonization of Education, Epistemicide, Curriculum Reform, Challenges, Prospects DOI: 10.7176/DCS/10-4-04 Publication date: April 30 th 2020