Examine underlying philosophy of education

This past week a meeting was held in Nairobi to discuss proposals to change our system of education. While it is important to academically dissect the processes and outcomes of the system we have been using for the past 30-odd years, it is an even more opportune moment to critically examine the assumptions underpinning the system.

The one important question that must be answered before any changes can make sense is, “Why do we take our children to school? What do we expect at the end of the pipeline?”

Before independence, the education system was designed such that after a lower primary school education entailing learning to read, write and do simple calculations, one could be absorbed into the colonial administration and be assured of a permanent and pensionable job.

Those that completed seven years of primary school were therefore considered relatively well-read, and could often enter middle-level colleges and polytechnics to learn a craft or even enter some profession.

A person ending his academic journey after four years of secondary education could get employed in a government agency and be trained for managerial roles, while one with an advanced level certificate was a rare gem to be nurtured for senior management.

Many of those that got a university education ended up teaching at universities and colleges, and the few that got into government would be given senior positions.

The truth, however, was that most Africans could not progress beyond the very basic level of education because of limited opportunities at the time, and their roles in government were therefore limited to clerical and menial jobs. The education system was racially segregated, with full opportunities provided for those considered to be of “superior” races.

SERVE UPPER CLASSES

It would appear that the post-independence government did not exert itself much in re-imagining an education system that would serve the country in the new dispensation. We inherited the colonial education system and entrenched it, succeeding only in changing the basis of “superiority” classification from race to wealth.

The philosophy of the system remained to prepare the lower classes to serve the upper classes that had taken over the reigns of power. Those that managed to get to the top of the education food chain carried that distinction with honour, reminding everyone who would listen that they went to the Alliances and Makereres of the time.

It was still possible to secure a government job with a secondary or even a primary school certificate, and advanced level certificates were a sure guarantee for employment. In the mid-eighties, the Moi government attempted a philosophical reorientation of our education system, shifting focus away from training for employment to training for self-reliance.

While the thought behind the system was extremely enlightened, the implementation proceeded with the same assumptions underpinning the abrogated colonial system. The catchy tune of “Someni vijana ... Mwisho wa kusoma, mtapata kazi nzuri sana ...” (At the end of education you will get a very good job!) continued to inspire those that entered the system as students, and even as teachers.

The 8-4-4 system failed because those it served, as well as those that implemented it, maintained the mentality of training for employment, defeating the intents of the revised curriculum.

The practical subjects were mostly taught theoretically, with emphasis being on cramming and reproducing the material during examinations rather than demonstrating any learnt skills. Many students who scored straight As in Music cannot produce or identify a single musical note if their lives depended on it! Similarly, many who aced Art and Craft cannot even repair a stool if one of the legs broke.

This is why the conference reviewing our school curriculum must begin and be guided by the question, “Why do we take our children to school?” Is it to make them “fitter” global citizens, or is its goal to produce more doctors, lawyers, engineers and other supposedly lofty professionals? Importantly, are our educators and learners ready for a shift from the “training for employment” mentality to any new philosophy emanating from the conference?

Atwoli is associate professor of psychiatry and dean, School of Medicine, Moi University; [email protected]