PDU3701
Assignment 2
Due June 2026
, Question 1
1.1 In what ways were African values marginalised in educational systems
on the African continent?
African values were marginalised in several interconnected ways during colonial and
postcolonial education. One major way was through the exclusion of indigenous
knowledge systems from formal curricula. Traditional African ways of knowing, such as
oral history, storytelling, communal learning, and indigenous sciences, were dismissed
as unscientific or inferior. Instead, European knowledge frameworks were positioned as
the only valid sources of truth and education.
Language policy also played a central role in marginalisation. Colonial education
systems prioritised European languages such as English, French, and Portuguese as
the main languages of instruction. African languages were either excluded or treated as
informal, which weakened learners’ cultural identity and disconnected education from
their lived realities.
Another form of marginalisation occurred through value systems promoted in schools.
African values such as communal responsibility, respect for elders, collective decision
making, and Ubuntu were replaced by Western values that emphasised individualism,
competition, and personal achievement. This shift reshaped learners’ understanding of
success and social responsibility.
In addition, the structure and aims of education were designed to serve colonial
economic and political interests rather than African social needs. Education prepared
learners to fit into Western styled bureaucratic systems rather than empowering them to
contribute meaningfully to their own communities. As a result, African learners were
often alienated from their culture while being educated within their own countries (Higgs
& Letseka, 2024).
Assignment 2
Due June 2026
, Question 1
1.1 In what ways were African values marginalised in educational systems
on the African continent?
African values were marginalised in several interconnected ways during colonial and
postcolonial education. One major way was through the exclusion of indigenous
knowledge systems from formal curricula. Traditional African ways of knowing, such as
oral history, storytelling, communal learning, and indigenous sciences, were dismissed
as unscientific or inferior. Instead, European knowledge frameworks were positioned as
the only valid sources of truth and education.
Language policy also played a central role in marginalisation. Colonial education
systems prioritised European languages such as English, French, and Portuguese as
the main languages of instruction. African languages were either excluded or treated as
informal, which weakened learners’ cultural identity and disconnected education from
their lived realities.
Another form of marginalisation occurred through value systems promoted in schools.
African values such as communal responsibility, respect for elders, collective decision
making, and Ubuntu were replaced by Western values that emphasised individualism,
competition, and personal achievement. This shift reshaped learners’ understanding of
success and social responsibility.
In addition, the structure and aims of education were designed to serve colonial
economic and political interests rather than African social needs. Education prepared
learners to fit into Western styled bureaucratic systems rather than empowering them to
contribute meaningfully to their own communities. As a result, African learners were
often alienated from their culture while being educated within their own countries (Higgs
& Letseka, 2024).
