This is what he told us:
- The current curriculum dehumanises black students.
How?
“We study all these dead white men who presided over our oppression, and we are made to use their thinking as a standard and as a point of departure.”
Well, that's only natural seeing as dead white men carved the world into the shape it is today. One tries to learn about the world as it is today and the various factors that influence it today, yes?
- Our own thinking as Africans has been undermined. We must have our own education from our own continent;
Undermined or simply deemed academically inferior for the purposes of most people who want an education?
- We cannot be decolonised by white people who colonised us;
- Decolonisation advances the interests of Africans, instead of advancing Eurocentric interests.
"Decolonisation" does not exist. No one can be "decolonised".
''Eurocentrism does not serve our interests culturally, socially, economically. It does not resolve the issues of Africa.''
Yeah, because nowhere else in the world are the masses complaining that the various institutions of power are grinding the common man into the dust.
- Education is not neutral, it serves particular interests.
When you interact with people, you are serving particular interests. Most likely the interests of the person you are interacting with. That's how mutually beneficial arrangements work.
Seems this guy claims he's not getting anything out of education as it currently stands. Otherwise it's serving his interests.
- Students are forced to accept certain standard works to study in certain fields - even the work of Karl Marx. Although considered worthy, the German philosopher’s work is offered repeatedly as a standard, instead of introducing new ideas by Africans;
What new ideas are these? Can anyone point them out?
- White lecturers teach students African music and the base of music studies is classical European music.
Remind me to complain next time a black lecturer wants to talk about any music that isn't rap, R&B, kwaito or reggae.
- The curriculum does not accommodate creativity and expression in African languages. For example, drama students feel they are marked lower if they produce work in an African language;
This *might* be a valid point if proven true.
- Decolonised education is not the same as transformed education;
- For decolonised education to be introduced, the existing system must be overthrown and the people it is supposed to serve must define it for themselves.
Oh look, the people are being horribly oppressed by education.
More intersectional rot that puts everyone into separate camps and unites us all in misery and mutual loathing for the various arbitrary differences that divide us now that everyone believes differences are something to be fought over a la "privilege + prejudice = racism."
Sorry, but simply attacking the pillars of society is not constructive behavior.
''We want to review that system and that curriculum, and that can't happen without a decolonised institution.''
And what if after the review it turns out that your idea is crap? Who's going to put the pieces back together afterwards?
