(1943) - Education and Nationalism in Africa - Kwame Nkrumah

A photo of an introduction page to the book Educational Outlook featuring the works of 4 authors, including Kwame Nkrumah, stamped by the University of Pennsylvania library.

(1943) - Education and Nationalism in Africa - Kwame Nkrumah

Kwame Nkrumah's Education in West Africa is a condemnation of colonial education systems for their contribution to the erosion of African cultural identity and national development. Traditional African education, according to Nkrumah, was focused on moral instruction, practicality and communal values whereas colonial education imported foreign ideas for imperial purposes. In order to promote national awareness and self-reliance, Nkrumah supports an educational system that places a high priority on African history, languages, and economic self-sufficiency. He views education as a means of emancipation and nation-building, and instead of strengthening reliance on Western models of knowledge and governance, he calls for reforms to make education more pertinent to the requirements of African nations. 

We are looking forward to, as a first step, a federated union of all the countries in West Africa where Africans can rule and govern themselves without outside interference. 

Kwame Nkrumah