Introduction
Decolonization as a whole has been a controversial topic in many educational institutions around South Africa, particularly in tertiary education, over the last two years. The decolonization of education means that a nation must become independent regarding acquiring knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits. University students from many tertiary institutions around the country have voiced their opinions on this matter through protests and gatherings. One opinion on the matter is that we should rid the syllabus of Western philosophies and teaching and replace it with African doctrines and teachings, while the other is to leave things as is and continue with a Westernized curriculum. The idea of decolonizing education within South African tertiary institutions is fundamentally a bad one. This essay will discuss the negative effects decolonizing the syllabus will have on university students, tertiary education institutions, and the economy.
Understanding Decolonisation
First, it's necessary to understand those two words: "colonization" and "decolonization".
Colonization is a process by which a central system of power dominates the surrounding land and its components. The term is derived from the Latin word colere, which means "to inhabit".
The Cambridge Dictionary calls decolonization "the process in which a country that was previously a colony controlled by another country becomes politically independent". (Wingfield, 2017) Colonization has a long history in Africa as Colonisers from Europe looked to expand their territories and increase their wealth, this was at its height during the historical is called "The Scramble for Africa," which took place between 1881 and 1914. Since then, African countries have gained independence, with the first being South Africa in 1910.
Arguments
Although South Africa has been independent for over 100 years, some argue that the decolonization process has never taken place and the only way to move forward as an African country is to do away with the Western syllabus and create our own.
This is a dangerous argument as to do that ample research, testing, and refining would have to take place, not to mention that it would further dilute the level of education in the country as it won't comply with international standards.
We should learn from an example from china; their higher education and university research are compatible with global standards, albeit initiated in European countries this has been a vital ingredient in driving economic success. China managed to pull itself from the depths of poverty on the back of detailed plans that emphasized educating its citizens to the highest international standards. China continues to invest huge sums and encourage its citizens to attain the b...
