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Question 1
1.1. African philosophy is concerned with attempting to reassert distinctively African ways of
thinking and of relating to the world. In the light of this, what issues need to be addressed in
education? List 4 issues.
There are several issues that need to be addressed in education in the light of African philosophy's
attempt to reassert distinctively African ways of thinking and relating to the world.
These issues include:
Acknowledging and establishing an African identity in education.
Providing the necessary context for the resurrection of African values in educational curricula
and practices.
Recognizing and incorporating indigenous African knowledge systems in the construction of
curricula in education systems on the African continent.
Recovering the humanistic principles embedded in traditional African thought, particularly in
the concepts of ubuntu and communality, in order to develop a vision and practice of education
that lays the basis for African people to participate in mastering and directing the course of
change and fulfilling the vision of learning to know, learning to do, and learning to be.
(Chapter 1 - Page 31)
1.2. In responding to the question in 1.1, discuss the significance of ubuntu and communality for
education.
The notions of ubuntu and communality are significant for education in Africa. Ubuntu is the central
ethical idea in traditional African thought, related to human happiness and well-being. It recognizes
that a person exists and develops only in relationships with other persons. The Nguni expression
Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu translates to "A human being is a human being through other human
beings." This means that individuals are interconnected and interdependent, and their well-being is
tied to the well-being of the community.
Incorporating the notion of ubuntu in classroom practice and the life of the school in general can
foster humane people endowed with virtues such as kindness, generosity, compassion, benevolence,
courtesy, and a respect and concern for the welfare of others. Education in the African context helps
people function in relation to one another in their communal tradition, promoting a collective effort
directed ultimately at the good of the community.
Communality is another value embraced in African traditional thought. It emphasizes the importance
of the community and the collective effort directed towards the good of the community. If the
notions of ubuntu and communality are taken up by educators on the African continent, then
education will be directed at fostering humane people endowed with virtues such as kindness,
generosity, compassion, benevolence, courtesy, and a respect and concern for the welfare of others.
