MORE than a century after the settler regime formalised the country’s education system as part of their so-called ‘civilisation’ process and up to now, the country’s curriculum continues to reflect the colonial philosophy.
The education system introduced by the colonialists was designed to promote the supremacy and ‘legitimacy’ of the white regime.
The system was based on the principle that Africans assimilate into the European lifestyles and values.
In respect of this, foreign culture, which had a hegemonic and demonising effect on indigenous systems, became the way to the ‘good life’.
These imposed hegemonic culture disrupted the values of pre-settler and pre-colonial notions of learning that were essential in reflecting the social and cultural needs and expectations of the indigenous community.
Thus today we have the educated elite that largely aspires for a Western type of life.
They loathe their African identity.
The colonial education system sought to create a ‘Black English Man’ referred to as pseudo-bourgeoisie.
Without doubt, the establishment a white oriented education system was a colonial project to consolidate colonialism.
The colonial education system was hostile towards the African identity and sought to dominate African culture.
Through this cultural imperialism, indigenous Zimbabweans were defined and portrayed as inferior to Europeans and were deliberately taught to despise their cultural identities and to internalise the racial stereotypes of the coloniser.
These early schools were an attempt by the British to destroy Zimbabwean cultural values and replace them with Western values to ensure continued existence of their imperialist ideology even after the country attained independence.
As such, today the education system is symbolised by an inclination to the West that promotes the cultural values of the colonisers at the expense of local norms.
The problem with the current education system is that it is not built around the critical recognition that we went through a bloody liberation struggle.
As a result, most learners view the liberation war as a myth and know more about Western war histories which they are exposed to in the schools.
Speaking recently during the launch of the Teacher Capacity Development Programme in Harare, President Robert Mugabe said the local education system was lagging behind in promoting and teaching the country’s cultural practices.
“Our students should appreciate and emerge from our system as proud heirs and defenders of our hard-won peace and independence.” President Mugabe said.
“One of the major weaknesses of the present curriculum has been the absence of an underpinning philosophy to guide our education system.
“Such a philosophy must speak to who we are as Zimbabweans and our values, laws and norms must be informed by this philosophy.
President Mugabe said most learned people lacked a sense of belonging as they were educated in a way that promotes Western culture.
“We have heard especially in the past those who went to school, not highly educated wanting to behave as non-Africans,” he said.
“Taive nevamwe, vamwe vaitove hama dzangu vaiti vakanoita kaJC kuSouth Africa kareko tisati taita secondary school kuno when they came back home vaiti hatichadya sadza.
“Ko wakudya chii?
“Rice nemazai ndozvinodya varungu; vakomana imi takaona zvakaoma.”
President Mugabe said parents should not spoil their children by grooming them to fit into a Eurocentric lifestyle.
“Then you have others and we still have them who say no, we would want our children to speak English, they should not speak Shona or Ndebele at all just English from birth because that will enable them to know better,” he said.
“That is nonsense, psychologically wrong, a child can learn two, three or more languages, let the child be free,
“Vamwe vana vakabva vatadza kutaura Shona ikozvino vakundandama kutaura Shona.
“But why spoiling your children that way?”
Therefore, to fully comprehend and appreciate policies and challenges that educational planners and administrators face, we need to explore the history of education and how it shapes much of the post-colonial education system in Zimbabwe.
The problems that Zimbabwe faces in restructuring its education system are partly embedded in our colonial legacy and resistance within the system for change.