P
, DU3701 Assignment 2 2026; 100 % TR
PDU3701 Assignment 2 (2026)
Complete Expert-Guided Solutions
Question 1
1.1 In what ways were “African values” marginalised in African
education systems? (10)
African values were marginalised through the imposition of colonial
education systems that privileged Western epistemologies, languages, and
cultural norms over indigenous African knowledge systems. During the
colonial period, education was designed primarily to serve colonial
administrative and economic interests rather than the cultural and
intellectual development of African societies. Indigenous knowledge
systems — including oral traditions, communal ethics, spirituality,
indigenous sciences, and traditional governance structures — were
dismissed as primitive, unscientific, or inferior.
One significant form of marginalisation occurred through language policy.
European colonial languages such as English, French, and Portuguese
became the official languages of instruction, thereby undermining African
languages as legitimate carriers of knowledge. This created epistemic
exclusion, where learners were disconnected from knowledge rooted in
their lived experiences.
Curricula also centred Western history, philosophy, and scientific paradigms
while neglecting African intellectual traditions. African philosophical
concepts such as ubuntu (communal interdependence), respect for elders,
and collective responsibility were replaced with Western individualistic
values. Furthermore, educational structures promoted competitive
individual achievement rather than communal cooperation, which is central
to many African societies.
, DU3701 Assignment 2 2026; 100 % TR
PDU3701 Assignment 2 (2026)
Complete Expert-Guided Solutions
Question 1
1.1 In what ways were “African values” marginalised in African
education systems? (10)
African values were marginalised through the imposition of colonial
education systems that privileged Western epistemologies, languages, and
cultural norms over indigenous African knowledge systems. During the
colonial period, education was designed primarily to serve colonial
administrative and economic interests rather than the cultural and
intellectual development of African societies. Indigenous knowledge
systems — including oral traditions, communal ethics, spirituality,
indigenous sciences, and traditional governance structures — were
dismissed as primitive, unscientific, or inferior.
One significant form of marginalisation occurred through language policy.
European colonial languages such as English, French, and Portuguese
became the official languages of instruction, thereby undermining African
languages as legitimate carriers of knowledge. This created epistemic
exclusion, where learners were disconnected from knowledge rooted in
their lived experiences.
Curricula also centred Western history, philosophy, and scientific paradigms
while neglecting African intellectual traditions. African philosophical
concepts such as ubuntu (communal interdependence), respect for elders,
and collective responsibility were replaced with Western individualistic
values. Furthermore, educational structures promoted competitive
individual achievement rather than communal cooperation, which is central
to many African societies.
