The Demise of Colonial Education - Article Example

The Demise of Colonial Education Education has been one of the most crucial tools in any society that guarantees social mobility, order and progression. It is one of the most evident tools that can affect all other aspects of society like the political, economic and social conditions. Inevitably, one thing that can be assumed with this condition is that the systems of education in most parts of the world are patterned after the Western standards. This is patterned after the concept of colonization: the noble concept used by the colonizers to occupy certain territories in the world in exchange of a promise of civilized people: the advent of civilization in that territory. One thing that must be assessed about the system of education present in these colonies is there role, significance and relevance. At the same time, how this system of education that is colonized and patterned after the colony is regarded to be an education for the underdeveloped; a manifestation of underdevelopment of a certain nation? These are predicaments that must be understood and assessed carefully especially in the context of African nations who have experienced colonization like other countries in other parts of the world. All of them share the same experiences being colonized. In line with the points raised in the preceding part of this paragraph, there will also be an assertion of what seems to be the plausible solution to address the direful system of education. First thing that must be understood is how relevant this system of education to the political agenda of the countries asserting their independence. One thing that must be understood is that education is a tool to open the eye about the problems of the world and look for the solutions that are feasible and reasonable. However, this system of education by the colonizers became a tool to forward the deplorable political agenda and harsh practices by the Western powers in very problematic situations. Certain problems that occurred in these colonized system of education. In Africa back then, education has been focused on the development of family and civilization. This would then result in to development of social roles that is being realized by the kids that complement the lifestyle of the particular group he or she belongs to. However, the advent of the colonized education not only distorted these notions of the family and other socialization processes but have forwarded Western Ideals and the religions, later on turning the system of education as a a tool to serve the interests of the colonizer and the missionaries being supportive of the said colonial regime. How underdevelopment happens here? One thing that must be understood as well is that the concentration of education in cities has attracted people to acquire this certain education. In this case, people in the rural areas, wherein most of the economic activity of the African nations is being abandoned. By such abandoning comes weakening of the economy. Education in this case then becomes a burden since it does not fulfil its role to advance the welfare of the people for mobility but education being patterned for the colonizers will definitely serve the interest of the people. By putting in as well the context of the modern world, the former colonies are oftentimes compliant to the exploitive political moves of the ruling western powers to ensure the stay of the ruling elites on top of the government and safeguard their interests further. However, even if there is a problematic situation that comes with the colonized education system, there is something that it is able to contribute. It has able to systematize the system of education in these colonies. None the less, it cannot be denied that the system of education made by the colonizers is not really responsive and complementing to the needs of the people of the colonies. This condition then hampers potential development and still focuses on the development that is not that enough and efficient to sustain the independence of these nations. This further justifies that the colonized system of education is not really an advocate of the independence but a manifestation continuous subversion of the former colonies to their colonizers, despite being indirect, is still not good. This only shows that the education systems will still be putting premium on the Western standards and not meant to develop their own. This could result into false consciousness and there is not that development in terms of the real identity of these people since most of their practices have been eluded by the periods of colonization. The worst that comes with this is that because of this highly elite-oriented and colonizers-oriented education, the importance of the identity and own cultural values that can give them better avenues for learning that once integrated and prioritized in the system will most likely become extinct. Education is indeed something that is relevant and crucial to every society. This is an incontestable truth. All people believe that education is the only tool that one can have that will ensure his survival to this world. However, the colonized education puts premium on the lifestyle of the western people which inevitably discourages people in their respective cultural origins to develop their own culture and identity through educating what is relevant to them to understand their identities further as nation and fully free themselves as countries and not as neo-colonies that gives too much primacy on the their colonizers. One thing that is considered to be crucial and important about the colonized system of education is that it subscribe to the ideologies of the colonizers which are not oftentimes conducive and applicable to the lifestyles of the people in a certain former colony. The worst predicament is that it distorts the notion of identity. This distortion is indeed problematic because the system of education that is a servant of the world superpowers disvalues the capacity of these African nations, together with the underdeveloped and developing countries, to look for avenues that are fit for them to be independent especially in exercising political control, economic development, social mobility and cultural progress. These four societal conditions are considered vital for the determination of independence and justify their own acts that can be considered vital for their development and not staying underdeveloped. By changing the notions of education in a certain country and making it responsive to the very cultural values inherent to the society before the advent of colonizers could be a possible solution to gear education towards development of a country since it becomes complementary. Having the re-orientation is the possible solution that can advocate the real nationalist assertion of identity and a critical observer of the false consciousness that have been existent in these colonized countries. Having a progressive education and independent from the external influences and dependent highly to the cultural identity could be best solution to these demise in education. A well thought nationalist agenda that is embedded on the education would only ensure total independence of a colonized country and free itself from the constraints of in political, economic, social and cultural realm that is often rooted in the highly colonized influence. Unless the colonial mentality is destroyed, that is the time that genuine change and freedom occurs inside the borders of countries that have been subjected to the harsh conditions that they have experienced from the countries that have deluded them the meaning of what really being civilized and the notion of what a civilization is. Read More