Education in Africa 
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 Periodical article |
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| Title: | Education for Democracy and Human Rights in African Schools: The Kenyan Experience |
| Author: | Sifuna, Daniel N. |
| Year: | 2000 |
| Periodical: | Africa Development: A Quarterly Journal of CODESRIA (ISSN 0850-3907) |
| Volume: | 25 |
| Issue: | 1-2 |
| Pages: | 213-239 |
| Language: | English |
| Notes: | biblio. refs. |
| Geographic terms: | Kenya East Africa Africa |
| Subjects: | democracy educational policy Education and Oral Traditions Law, Human Rights and Violence Politics and Government education Curriculum planning governance human rights |
| External link: | https://www.jstor.org/stable/43658038 |
| Abstract: | The increased clamour for democracy and good governance in Africa risks being futile if a politically literate citizenry remains insignificant. A democratic culture anchored in the respect and protection of human rights needs to be imbibed in wider sections of society. The educational system is one of the structures in society that can be used to achieve this objective. But the organizational mode of education in many African countries, trapped in its colonial origins, is not likely to make it a source of awareness for citizen rights. Rather, the authoritarian school structures have encouraged unquestioning acquiescence to authority. This paper argues, on the basis of evidence from various countries, notably Kenya, that there is a need to reform the decisionmaking structure and social environment of African schools. Furthermore, African educators should begin to use the school curriculum to promote democracy and human rights. Schools should initiate activities for education for democracy and human rights through basic instruction in which civic education marks an elementary 'political literacy'. The implications for wider society are that democratic values should be rooted in grassroots organizations and institutions. Bibliogr., sum. in English and French. |
