Nyerere Education Idea and It Aplication to Conteporary Education System
Educational Research and Review Vol. 4 (4), pp. 111-116, April 2009 Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/ERR ISSN 1990-3839 © 2008 Academic Journals
Full Length Research Paper
The implications of Nyerere’s theory of education to contemporary education in Kenya
Joseph W. Nasongo1* and Lydiah L. Musungu2
2
Department of Educational Foundations, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya. Department of Educational Planning and Management, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya.
Accepted 26 March, 2009
1
The question of relevance regarding education in human society is perennial. In the developing countries, education is considered to be a panacea for development. In Kenya, various efforts at curricular review and reform have time and again been undertaken to address the relevance of education. This paper attempts to analyze Nyerere’s theory of education with the view to render salient ideas that can contribute towards the formulation of worthwhile theories of education in the context of Kenya’s 21 century realities. Accordingly, Nyerere’s views, namely, ‘education for self reliance’ and ‘education for liberation’ are analyzed. Consequently, it is evident that contemporary education in Kenya is inadequate in several ways. It is therefore recommended that education in Kenya should embrace a multidimensional orientation that ensures the liberation of the individual, leading to the attainment of self reliance. Key words: Education for self-reliance, education for liberation, ideal education. INTRODUCTION Julius Kambarage Nyerere, the former and founding president of the united republic of Tanzania, is known not only as one of the world’s most respected statesmen and an articulate spokesman of African liberation and African dignity but also as an educator and an original and creative educational thinker (Kassam, 2000). Before we embark on explicating his ideas on education, a brief biography is worthwhile. He was born
Full Length Research Paper
The implications of Nyerere’s theory of education to contemporary education in Kenya
Joseph W. Nasongo1* and Lydiah L. Musungu2
2
Department of Educational Foundations, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya. Department of Educational Planning and Management, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya.
Accepted 26 March, 2009
1
The question of relevance regarding education in human society is perennial. In the developing countries, education is considered to be a panacea for development. In Kenya, various efforts at curricular review and reform have time and again been undertaken to address the relevance of education. This paper attempts to analyze Nyerere’s theory of education with the view to render salient ideas that can contribute towards the formulation of worthwhile theories of education in the context of Kenya’s 21 century realities. Accordingly, Nyerere’s views, namely, ‘education for self reliance’ and ‘education for liberation’ are analyzed. Consequently, it is evident that contemporary education in Kenya is inadequate in several ways. It is therefore recommended that education in Kenya should embrace a multidimensional orientation that ensures the liberation of the individual, leading to the attainment of self reliance. Key words: Education for self-reliance, education for liberation, ideal education. INTRODUCTION Julius Kambarage Nyerere, the former and founding president of the united republic of Tanzania, is known not only as one of the world’s most respected statesmen and an articulate spokesman of African liberation and African dignity but also as an educator and an original and creative educational thinker (Kassam, 2000). Before we embark on explicating his ideas on education, a brief biography is worthwhile. He was born