, PDU3701 Assignment 2 (COMPLETE ANSWERS) 2026 -
DUE June 2026; 100% Correct solutions and explanations.
QUESTION 1
1.1 In what ways were “African values” marginalised in educational
systems on the African continent?
The marginalisation of African values in education can be traced back to
colonial rule, when European powers imposed their political, economic
and cultural systems on African societies. Education during colonialism
was designed primarily to serve colonial interests rather than the needs
of African communities. As a result, indigenous knowledge systems,
African languages, spiritual beliefs, and communal ways of life were
systematically excluded from formal schooling. Western epistemologies
were presented as superior, while African ways of knowing were
dismissed as primitive or backward.
One of the main ways African values were marginalised was through the
language of instruction. Colonial education systems prioritised European
languages such as English, French and Portuguese. African languages
were either banned from formal education or confined to early primary
levels. Since language carries culture, identity and worldview, the
dominance of European languages meant that African learners were
alienated from their own cultural frameworks. This created a hierarchy
in which Western knowledge was seen as legitimate and African
knowledge as inferior.
Furthermore, the curriculum content largely reflected European history,
geography, literature and philosophy, while African history and
contributions were either distorted or omitted. African societies were
often portrayed as lacking civilisation before colonial contact. This
misrepresentation undermined African identity and self-worth. Learners
were socialised into admiring Western achievements and undervaluing
their own heritage.
DUE June 2026; 100% Correct solutions and explanations.
QUESTION 1
1.1 In what ways were “African values” marginalised in educational
systems on the African continent?
The marginalisation of African values in education can be traced back to
colonial rule, when European powers imposed their political, economic
and cultural systems on African societies. Education during colonialism
was designed primarily to serve colonial interests rather than the needs
of African communities. As a result, indigenous knowledge systems,
African languages, spiritual beliefs, and communal ways of life were
systematically excluded from formal schooling. Western epistemologies
were presented as superior, while African ways of knowing were
dismissed as primitive or backward.
One of the main ways African values were marginalised was through the
language of instruction. Colonial education systems prioritised European
languages such as English, French and Portuguese. African languages
were either banned from formal education or confined to early primary
levels. Since language carries culture, identity and worldview, the
dominance of European languages meant that African learners were
alienated from their own cultural frameworks. This created a hierarchy
in which Western knowledge was seen as legitimate and African
knowledge as inferior.
Furthermore, the curriculum content largely reflected European history,
geography, literature and philosophy, while African history and
contributions were either distorted or omitted. African societies were
often portrayed as lacking civilisation before colonial contact. This
misrepresentation undermined African identity and self-worth. Learners
were socialised into admiring Western achievements and undervaluing
their own heritage.
