Abstract
The liberation of Africa and its peoples from centuries of racially discriminatory colonial rule and domination has far reaching implications for educational thought and practice. The transformation of educational discourse in Africa requires a philosophical framework that respects diversity, acknowledges lived experience and challenges the hegemony of Western forms of universal knowledge. In this article, the author argues that indigenous knowledge, as a system of African knowledge, can provide a useful philosophical framework for the construction of empowering knowledge that will enable communities in Africa to participate in their own educational development.
Résumé
LE MANDAT ÉDUCATIF DU SAVOIR INDIGÈNE COMME ÉPISTÉMOLOGIE AFRICAINE – la libÉration de l’Afrique et de ses peuples de siÈcles de loi et de domination coloniales discriminatoires sur le plan racial a des implications de grande envergure pour la pensÉe et la pratique Éducatives. La transformation du discours Éducatif en Afrique exige un cadre philosophique qui respecte la diversitÉ, reconnaît une expÉrience vÉcue et lance un dÉfi à l’hÉgÉmonie des formes occidentales du savoir universel. Dans cet article, l’auteur soutient que le savoir indigÈne, en tant qu’il est un systÈme du savoir africain, peut fournir un cadre philosophique utile pour la construction d’un savoir renforçant les communautÉs en Afrique et leur permettant de participer à leur propre dÉveloppement Éducatif.
Zusammenfassung
EINHEIMISCHES WISSEN ALS BILDUNGSAUFTRAG UND AFRIKANISCHE ERKENNTNISTHEORIE – Die Befreiung Afrikas und seiner Völker von jahrhundertelanger rassendiskriminierender Kolonialherrschaft hat weitreichende Folgen für die Theorie und Praxis des Bildungssystems. Die Transformation des Bildungsdiskurses in Afrika macht philosophische Rahmenbedingungen erforderlich, die die bestehende Vielfältigkeit respektieren, Lebenserfahrungen anerkennen und die Hegemonie westlicher Formen universellen Wissens hinterfragen. In diesem Artikel vertritt der Autor die Meinung, dass das einheimische Wissen – im Sinne eines Systems afrikanischen Wissens – nützliche philosophische Rahmenbedingungen zum Aufbau einer Wissensermächtigung bereitstellen kann, welche die afrikanischen Gemeinden in die Lage versetzt, an ihrer eigenen Bildungsentwicklung mitzuwirken.
Resumen
EL MANDATO EDUCATIVO DEL CONOCIMIENTO INDÍGENA COMO UNA EPISTEMOLOGÍA AFRICANA – La liberación de África y sus habitantes de las normas y la dominación colonial con discriminación racial de varios siglos, dio lugar a importantes consecuencias para el pensamiento y la prÁctica educativa. La transformación del discurso educativo en África requiere un marco filosófico que respete la diversidad, tenga en cuenta la experiencia vivida y desafÍe la hegemonÍa de las formas occidentales de conocimiento universal. En este artÍculo, el autor argumenta que el conocimiento indÍgena, como sistema del conocimiento africano, puede proveer un prÁctico marco filosófico para comenzar a construir un conocimiento fortalecedor que permita que las comunidades en África participen en su propio desarrollo educativo.
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Higgs, P. Towards an indigenous African educational discourse: a philosophical reflection. Int Rev Educ 54, 445–458 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-008-9088-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-008-9088-x