Abstract
The case for African school curricula is a contentious phenomenon, especially when the definition of “African curricula” has to be considered and understood within the context of contemporary and multiethnic Africa. The contention is how to define and validate knowledge, particularly the official curriculum in the face of globalization, and the internationalization of knowledge. Even more problematic is the concept and definition of “African” itself. Who is the African in contemporary African society? Profound cultural diversity and interconnectedness has taken place since and after colonialism so much that the African identity has become elusive and evasive. The observed considerable cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity within Africa tends to obscure an African identity. Hall (1996) argues that modern nations are all cultural hybrids. However, this hybridity is loosely observed in African societies as some cultural and ethnic distinctions still persist.
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© 2005 Ali A. Abdi and Ailie Cleghorn
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Shizha, E. (2005). Reclaiming Our Memories: The Education Dilemma in Postcolonial African School Curricula. In: Abdi, A.A., Cleghorn, A. (eds) Issues in African Education. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781403977199_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781403977199_4
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