Education Challenges in Post-Colonial Africa
TITLE
Analyse the reasons why improving education was a challenge for newly independent African nations.
ESSAY
Improving education was a significant challenge for newly independent African nations due to various factors. One of the main reasons was the imposition of colonial education systems by the colonial powers. These systems were designed to serve the interests of the colonizers and did not prioritize the development of social, economic, and political responsibility in the African communities.
However, after World War II, the British implemented an educational program in Africa to prepare their colonies for self-government and eventual independence. This led to a significant increase in the number of schools and children enrolled in education. For example, in Kenya, the number of primary, intermediate, and secondary schools rose from around 2,250 to over 4,700, and the number of children in school increased from 200,000 to over 600,000. Similar trends were observed in Nigeria, Tanganyika, Uganda, and French territories.
Despite the increased enrollment in schools, there were still very low literacy levels in most newly independent countries. The lack of literacy was attributed to various factors, including a shortage of trained teachers. Many teachers did not have proper training, with more than 70% of teachers in Nigeria lacking teacher training. In Ghana, more than half of the primary school teachers did not meet minimum qualifications.
The newly independent African nations recognized the importance of education in achieving their goals of industrialization, economic advancement, and universal suffrage. They were willing to invest heavily in education, but lacked the necessary funding. This attracted the attention of donors, such as UNESCO, who provided financial support to make education accessible to the majority of the population.
In addition to funding, there were also challenges in providing educational facilities and developing relevant curricula. Many African countries had high illiteracy rates, and there was a need for vocational schools and science education to meet the demands of national development. However, the expansion of education in the 1960s slowed down in the following decades due to economic decline. Governments cut spending, leading to a halt in further expansion and a reduced supply of teaching materials.
Another issue was the mismatch between the education system and the needs of the workforce. The African countries followed the education systems and practices of the former colonial powers, including the language of instruction. This resulted in a disconnect between the skills acquired in education and the available job opportunities. Many children failed to complete their courses, and unemployment among youths seeking white-collar jobs increased.
In conclusion, improving education was a challenge for newly independent African nations due to the imposition of colonial education systems, lack of funding, shortage of trained teachers, and mismatch between education and the workforce. Despite the efforts made to expand education, there were still low literacy levels and high dropout rates. The African countries recognized the importance of education in achieving their development goals, but faced numerous obstacles in realizing a well-planned educational program.
SUBJECT
HISTORY
PAPER
A Level
NOTES
Analyse the reasons why improving education was a challenge for newly independent African nations. Colonial powers imposed their own education system on the local population and no colonial government up to the end of World War II adopted an educational policy aimed to develop full social, economic and political responsibility in its African communities. After World War II, the British implemented an educational programme in Africa to prepare their colonies for self-government and eventual independence. From 1945 to 1959 the number of primary, intermediate and secondary schools for natives in Kenya, for example, rose from around 2,250 to over 4,700, and the number of children in school rose from 200 000 to over 600 000 In the same period, school attendance in Nigeria, Tanganyika and Uganda more than trebled. In French territories the number of children enrolled in school in Cameroon, French West Africa, French Equatorial Africa, Madagascar and Togoland rose from 450 000 in 1945 to 1.3 million in 1958. However, despite increased enrolment in schools there were very low literacy levels in most of the newly independent countries. The new nations were prepared to invest heavily in schools. This desire to fund education attracted the attention of donors, such as UNESCO, as most African governments could not afford the enormous funding needed to make education accessible for the majority of their population. Appointing staff to institutes for health education, for vocational training and for public administration was suggested and helping African students to study abroad. Educational facilities were also needed. Angola, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nyasaland, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Tanganyika all had illiteracy rates of more than 90%. A shortage of trained teachers faced all the countries. More than 70% of the 90 000 teachers in Nigeria had no teacher training. More than half of the 15 000 primary school teachers in Ghana did not meet minimum qualifications. The new African nations clearly realised that industrialisation, natural resource development, general economic advancement, universal suffrage and other goals could not be attained without a well-planned educational programme to produce skilled workers, technicians, administrators and government leaders. For many Africans, higher education was a prime goal of national development, and they increasingly stressed their need for vocational schools and science education. The education expansion of the 1960s slowed down in the 1970s and 80s because of economic decline; governments cut spending, which led to a halt to further expansion and reduced supply of teaching materials. There were also issues over what should be taught to ensure the curriculum was relevant for the new nations. The African countries followed the education systems and practices of the former colonial powers. Frequently, the language of instruction even at primary level was that of the former colonial power. This resulted in a mismatch between the world of work and the world of education. Most children failed to complete the courses in which they were enrolled especially in countries like Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Reasons for the large number of dropouts included overcrowding, removal of children by parents who needed their labour and inability to pay the small fees that mission schools charged.The real test of progress was in the proportion of the pupils who progressed
into the upper-primary classes. Most African children and their parents
expected their primary schooling to qualify them for something better than
manual work. In most African cities, unemployed youths were attempting to
find white-collar jobs for which they were not qualified