Beyond The Classroom: Reviving African Epistemologies In Education

By: Silas Mwaudasheni Nande

Intro­duc­tion

Edu­ca­tion in Africa has long been shaped by colo­nial lega­cies that per­sist in cur­ric­u­la, teach­ing meth­ods, and insti­tu­tion­al struc­tures. The Euro­cen­tric mod­el of edu­ca­tion, imposed dur­ing col­o­niza­tion, pri­or­i­tized West­ern knowl­edge, lan­guages, and ide­olo­gies while under­min­ing indige­nous knowl­edge sys­tems and cul­tur­al iden­ti­ties. Today, many African coun­tries are grap­pling with the chal­lenge of reform­ing their edu­ca­tion sys­tems to align with local real­i­ties, eco­nom­ic needs, and cul­tur­al her­itage. Decol­o­niz­ing edu­ca­tion is not mere­ly about remov­ing colo­nial influ­ences but about active­ly reshap­ing edu­ca­tion­al poli­cies, cur­ric­u­la, and ped­a­gog­i­cal approach­es to empow­er African learn­ers and soci­eties.

This essay explores the need for decol­o­niz­ing African edu­ca­tion, the key areas requir­ing trans­for­ma­tion, and strate­gies for achiev­ing a more rel­e­vant and inclu­sive edu­ca­tion­al sys­tem. It exam­ines how African gov­ern­ments can reform cur­ric­u­la, pro­mote indige­nous knowl­edge, strength­en voca­tion­al edu­ca­tion, reduce depen­den­cy on West­ern insti­tu­tions, and fos­ter region­al edu­ca­tion­al coop­er­a­tion.

1. Revising Curricula to Reflect African Realities

Revis­ing Cur­ric­u­la to Reflect African Real­i­ties is a cru­cial step in decol­o­niz­ing African edu­ca­tion by shift­ing from Euro­cen­tric per­spec­tives to con­tent that pri­or­i­tizes African knowl­edge sys­tems, his­to­ries, and cul­tur­al iden­ti­ties. Many African edu­ca­tion sys­tems still car­ry colo­nial lega­cies that mar­gin­al­ize indige­nous knowl­edge, lan­guages, and con­tri­bu­tions while pro­mot­ing West­ern nar­ra­tives as the gold stan­dard. By inte­grat­ing African philoso­phies, pre-colo­nial his­to­ries, local inno­va­tions, and indige­nous prob­lem-solv­ing meth­ods into cur­ric­u­la, edu­ca­tion becomes more rel­e­vant to stu­dents’ lived expe­ri­ences and nation­al devel­op­ment needs. This trans­for­ma­tion fos­ters a sense of pride, self-aware­ness, and crit­i­cal think­ing, enabling African learn­ers to see them­selves as archi­tects of their own progress rather than pas­sive recip­i­ents of for­eign ide­olo­gies. More­over, teach­ing in African lan­guages and empha­siz­ing local eco­nom­ic, sci­en­tif­ic, and tech­no­log­i­cal advance­ments can empow­er stu­dents to apply their edu­ca­tion direct­ly to the continent’s chal­lenges. Ulti­mate­ly, revis­ing cur­ric­u­la to reflect African real­i­ties ensures that edu­ca­tion serves as a tool for lib­er­a­tion, fos­ter­ing knowl­edge sys­tems that uphold African iden­ti­ty, val­ues, and aspi­ra­tions.

1.1 Teaching African History Accurately

African his­to­ry has often been taught from a Euro­cen­tric per­spec­tive, focus­ing on col­o­niza­tion and Euro­pean con­tri­bu­tions while neglect­ing pre-colo­nial African civ­i­liza­tions, resis­tance move­ments, and post-inde­pen­dence strug­gles. Teach­ing African His­to­ry Accu­rate­ly is a pow­er­ful tool for decol­o­niz­ing African edu­ca­tion because it chal­lenges Euro­cen­tric nar­ra­tives that have his­tor­i­cal­ly mis­rep­re­sent­ed or mar­gin­al­ized Africa’s con­tri­bu­tions to civ­i­liza­tion, sci­ence, gov­er­nance, and cul­ture. By pre­sent­ing African his­to­ry from an African per­spec­tive, stu­dents gain a deep­er under­stand­ing of their her­itage, iden­ti­ty, and the resilience of their ances­tors. Accu­rate his­tor­i­cal edu­ca­tion dis­man­tles the colo­nial myth of Africa as a pas­sive recip­i­ent of exter­nal influ­ence and high­lights its rich civ­i­liza­tions, intel­lec­tu­al tra­di­tions, and resis­tance move­ments. This fos­ters crit­i­cal think­ing, nation­al pride, and a sense of empow­er­ment among African learn­ers. Fur­ther­more, decol­o­nized his­to­ry edu­ca­tion encour­ages inde­pen­dent thought, self-reliance, and pol­i­cy-mak­ing that pri­or­i­tizes African devel­op­ment, rather than per­pet­u­at­ing depen­den­cy on for­eign ide­olo­gies. Ulti­mate­ly, it lays the foun­da­tion for an edu­ca­tion sys­tem that aligns with Africa’s real­i­ties, aspi­ra­tions, and future growth.

1.2 Prioritizing African Languages as a Tool for Decolonizing African Education

Most African edu­ca­tion sys­tems still use colo­nial lan­guages such as Eng­lish, French, and Por­tuguese as the pri­ma­ry medi­um of instruc­tion. This mar­gin­al­izes local lan­guages and hin­ders effec­tive learn­ing for many chil­dren.

Colo­nial edu­ca­tion sys­tems in Africa large­ly imposed Euro­pean lan­guages as the pri­ma­ry medi­um of instruc­tion, mar­gin­al­iz­ing indige­nous lan­guages and rein­forc­ing cul­tur­al alien­ation. Pri­or­i­tiz­ing African lan­guages in edu­ca­tion serves as a cru­cial step toward decol­o­niza­tion by reclaim­ing African iden­ti­ty, knowl­edge sys­tems, and ways of think­ing. When stu­dents learn in their moth­er tongues, they grasp con­cepts more effec­tive­ly, fos­ter­ing crit­i­cal think­ing and deep­er engage­ment with their own his­to­ries, tra­di­tions, and world­views. It also empow­ers local knowl­edge pro­duc­tion, rather than rely­ing on West­ern frame­works that may not align with African real­i­ties. Fur­ther­more, ele­vat­ing African lan­guages in edu­ca­tion chal­lenges the colo­nial hier­ar­chy that equates Euro­pean lan­guages with intel­li­gence and progress, ensur­ing that African knowl­edge and cul­tur­al expres­sions are giv­en the respect and legit­i­ma­cy they deserve. By embrac­ing lin­guis­tic diver­si­ty, African edu­ca­tion sys­tems can cul­ti­vate a sense of pride, self-deter­mi­na­tion, and intel­lec­tu­al sov­er­eign­ty, ulti­mate­ly paving the way for more inclu­sive and con­tex­tu­al­ly rel­e­vant learn­ing expe­ri­ences.

To address this:

• Gov­ern­ments should inte­grate local lan­guages into ear­ly child­hood and pri­ma­ry edu­ca­tion. Exam­ple: Rwanda’s intro­duc­tion of Kin­yarwan­da in ear­ly edu­ca­tion has strength­ened cul­tur­al iden­ti­ty and improved lit­er­a­cy rates.
• Bilin­gual edu­ca­tion mod­els should be devel­oped, where stu­dents learn in both their moth­er tongue and an inter­na­tion­al lan­guage.
• Research and pub­li­ca­tion in African lan­guages should be encour­aged to cre­ate aca­d­e­m­ic mate­ri­als in indige­nous lan­guages.

1.3 Integrating African Industries into Education

African economies are heav­i­ly reliant on agri­cul­ture, min­ing, fish­eries, and man­u­fac­tur­ing, yet these indus­tries are often neglect­ed in school cur­ric­u­la. Inte­grat­ing African Indus­tries into Edu­ca­tion can serve as a pow­er­ful tool for decol­o­niz­ing African edu­ca­tion by align­ing learn­ing with indige­nous knowl­edge sys­tems, eco­nom­ic real­i­ties, and local inno­va­tion. Tra­di­tion­al colo­nial edu­ca­tion in Africa was designed to pro­duce clerks and admin­is­tra­tors for for­eign economies, often dis­re­gard­ing Africa’s indus­tri­al poten­tial and cul­tur­al her­itage. By embed­ding African indus­tries; such as agri­cul­ture, min­ing, tech­nol­o­gy, man­u­fac­tur­ing, and cre­ative arts; into the cur­ricu­lum, stu­dents gain prac­ti­cal, local­ly rel­e­vant skills that empow­er them to dri­ve eco­nom­ic growth and self-suf­fi­cien­cy. This approach fos­ters entre­pre­neur­ship, reduces depen­den­cy on for­eign exper­tise, and pre­serves indige­nous crafts­man­ship and knowl­edge. It also chal­lenges the dom­i­nance of West­ern epis­te­molo­gies by pro­mot­ing African solu­tions to African prob­lems, there­by restor­ing intel­lec­tu­al and eco­nom­ic sov­er­eign­ty. Through part­ner­ships between schools, uni­ver­si­ties, and indus­tries, African stu­dents can grad­u­ate with not only the­o­ret­i­cal knowl­edge but also hands-on expe­ri­ence, mak­ing edu­ca­tion a vehi­cle for indus­tri­al­iza­tion and con­ti­nen­tal devel­op­ment rather than a pipeline for for­eign employ­ment.

2. Strengthening Technical and Vocational Training (TVET)

Many African edu­ca­tion sys­tems focus heav­i­ly on the­o­ret­i­cal knowl­edge rather than prac­ti­cal skills, result­ing in grad­u­ates who strug­gle to find employ­ment. Strength­en­ing Tech­ni­cal and Voca­tion­al Edu­ca­tion and Train­ing (TVET) can play a cru­cial role in decol­o­niz­ing African edu­ca­tion by shift­ing the focus from the colo­nial lega­cy of aca­d­e­m­ic elit­ism to prac­ti­cal, skills-based learn­ing that aligns with Africa’s eco­nom­ic and social real­i­ties. Tra­di­tion­al colo­nial edu­ca­tion sys­tems pri­or­i­tized the­o­ret­i­cal knowl­edge suit­ed for admin­is­tra­tive roles, often neglect­ing indige­nous knowl­edge sys­tems, local indus­tries, and entre­pre­neur­ship. By enhanc­ing TVET, African nations can empow­er youth with hands-on skills rel­e­vant to their economies — such as agri­cul­ture, engi­neer­ing, con­struc­tion, and dig­i­tal inno­va­tion — reduc­ing depen­dence on for­eign exper­tise and import­ed tech­nolo­gies. TVET can also inte­grate indige­nous knowl­edge and local­ly dri­ven inno­va­tion, fos­ter­ing self-suf­fi­cien­cy and eco­nom­ic resilience. Fur­ther­more, by valu­ing tech­ni­cal skills equal­ly with aca­d­e­m­ic edu­ca­tion, TVET chal­lenges colo­nial-era bias­es that equate suc­cess sole­ly with uni­ver­si­ty degrees, there­by restor­ing dig­ni­ty to voca­tion­al pro­fes­sions and pro­mot­ing inclu­sive eco­nom­ic growth. Ulti­mate­ly, strength­en­ing TVET ensures that African edu­ca­tion serves African needs, paving the way for a self-reliant and indus­tri­al­ized con­ti­nent.

2.1 Focusing on Skills Over Theory

Focus­ing on Skills Over The­o­ry can be a pow­er­ful approach to decol­o­niz­ing African edu­ca­tion by shift­ing the empha­sis from rigid, Euro­cen­tric the­o­ret­i­cal frame­works to prac­ti­cal, local­ly rel­e­vant com­pe­ten­cies. Tra­di­tion­al colo­nial-era edu­ca­tion sys­tems in Africa were designed to pro­duce cler­i­cal and admin­is­tra­tive work­ers rather than inno­va­tors, entre­pre­neurs, or skilled pro­fes­sion­als. By pri­or­i­tiz­ing skills devel­op­ment; such as agri­cul­ture, engi­neer­ing, dig­i­tal tech­nol­o­gy, and entre­pre­neur­ship; African edu­ca­tion can become more aligned with the continent’s socio-eco­nom­ic needs. This approach empow­ers stu­dents to solve real-world prob­lems, fos­ters self-reliance, and reduces depen­den­cy on for­eign exper­tise. It also inte­grates indige­nous knowl­edge sys­tems, rec­og­niz­ing the val­ue of African crafts­man­ship, resource man­age­ment, and com­mu­ni­ty-based prob­lem-solv­ing. Ulti­mate­ly, focus­ing on skills equips learn­ers with the tools to dri­ve eco­nom­ic growth, chal­lenge out­dat­ed colo­nial lega­cies, and cre­ate a future where edu­ca­tion serves African real­i­ties rather than exter­nal inter­ests.

2.2 Encouraging Apprenticeships and Industry Partnerships

Encour­ag­ing appren­tice­ships and indus­try part­ner­ships can play a cru­cial role in decol­o­niz­ing African edu­ca­tion by shift­ing away from Euro­cen­tric aca­d­e­m­ic mod­els that pri­or­i­tize the­o­ret­i­cal knowl­edge over prac­ti­cal skills. Tra­di­tion­al African soci­eties thrived on hands-on learn­ing through men­tor­ship and skill trans­fer, yet colo­nial edu­ca­tion sys­tems imposed rigid, West­ern-style school­ing that often dis­con­nects stu­dents from local economies and indus­tries. By inte­grat­ing appren­tice­ships and indus­try col­lab­o­ra­tions into edu­ca­tion, African nations can bridge the gap between learn­ing and eco­nom­ic pro­duc­tiv­i­ty, equip­ping stu­dents with rel­e­vant, job-ready skills. This approach fos­ters self-reliance, sup­ports indige­nous knowl­edge sys­tems, and reduces depen­den­cy on for­eign exper­tise. More­over, by work­ing with local indus­tries, edu­ca­tion­al insti­tu­tions can tai­lor cur­ric­u­la to region­al eco­nom­ic needs, ensur­ing that grad­u­ates con­tribute direct­ly to nation­al devel­op­ment rather than seek­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties abroad. Ulti­mate­ly, this strat­e­gy empow­ers African youth, pre­serves cul­tur­al knowl­edge, and strength­ens the continent’s abil­i­ty to dri­ve its own progress.

2.3 Promoting Indigenous Technologies

Pro­mot­ing Indige­nous Tech­nolo­gies can be a pow­er­ful tool in decol­o­niz­ing African edu­ca­tion by shift­ing the focus from Euro­cen­tric knowl­edge sys­tems to local­ly devel­oped, cul­tur­al­ly rel­e­vant inno­va­tions. Colo­nial edu­ca­tion often mar­gin­al­ized African knowl­edge, por­tray­ing West­ern sci­ence and tech­nol­o­gy as supe­ri­or while dis­re­gard­ing indige­nous meth­ods of agri­cul­ture, med­i­cine, engi­neer­ing, and crafts­man­ship. By inte­grat­ing indige­nous tech­nolo­gies; such as tra­di­tion­al irri­ga­tion sys­tems, herbal med­i­cine, indige­nous archi­tec­ture, and local knowl­edge of cli­mate adap­ta­tion; into cur­ric­u­la, African edu­ca­tion can val­i­date and pre­serve cen­turies of wis­dom that sus­tained com­mu­ni­ties long before colo­nial inter­fer­ence. This approach fos­ters self-reliance, nation­al pride, and eco­nom­ic empow­er­ment by encour­ag­ing stu­dents to devel­op solu­tions root­ed in their own envi­ron­ments rather than rely­ing on exter­nal mod­els. More­over, it chal­lenges the dom­i­nance of West­ern epis­te­molo­gies, ensur­ing that African learn­ers see their his­to­ry, cul­ture, and inno­va­tions as valu­able and capa­ble of shap­ing the continent’s future.

3. Reducing Dependency on Western Donors and Institutions

African edu­ca­tion sys­tems remain heav­i­ly depen­dent on West­ern fund­ing, cur­ric­u­la, and accred­i­ta­tion sys­tems. This depen­den­cy often lim­its Africa’s abil­i­ty to shape its own edu­ca­tion­al pri­or­i­ties. Reduc­ing Depen­den­cy on West­ern Donors and Insti­tu­tions is a crit­i­cal step in decol­o­niz­ing African edu­ca­tion because it enables African nations to reclaim own­er­ship over their cur­ric­u­la, research pri­or­i­ties, and edu­ca­tion­al poli­cies. Many West­ern-fund­ed edu­ca­tion­al ini­tia­tives come with ide­o­log­i­cal con­di­tions that rein­force Euro­cen­tric per­spec­tives, mar­gin­al­iz­ing indige­nous knowl­edge sys­tems, African philoso­phies, and local his­to­ries. By reduc­ing reliance on West­ern aid, African gov­ern­ments and insti­tu­tions can pri­or­i­tize Afro­cen­tric edu­ca­tion mod­els that reflect the continent’s real­i­ties, cul­tures, and aspi­ra­tions. This shift would empow­er African schol­ars, invest in local knowl­edge pro­duc­tion, and pro­mote home­grown solu­tions to edu­ca­tion­al chal­lenges. More­over, finan­cial inde­pen­dence allows African uni­ver­si­ties to set their own research agen­das, fos­ter­ing inno­va­tion that direct­ly ben­e­fits their soci­eties rather than serv­ing exter­nal inter­ests. Ulti­mate­ly, break­ing free from West­ern depen­den­cy in edu­ca­tion strength­ens Africa’s intel­lec­tu­al sov­er­eign­ty and nur­tures a gen­er­a­tion of lead­ers who are root­ed in their cul­tur­al her­itage while being glob­al­ly com­pet­i­tive.

3.1 Investing in Local Research and Publishing

Invest­ing in Local Research and Pub­lish­ing is a cru­cial step in decol­o­niz­ing African edu­ca­tion by shift­ing the nar­ra­tive from Euro­cen­tric per­spec­tives to African-cen­tered knowl­edge pro­duc­tion. His­tor­i­cal­ly, African edu­ca­tion sys­tems have relied heav­i­ly on for­eign research, the­o­ries, and text­books that often over­look indige­nous knowl­edge, lan­guages, and his­tor­i­cal con­texts. By fund­ing local research insti­tu­tions, encour­ag­ing African schol­ars, and pub­lish­ing works that reflect the continent’s real­i­ties, edu­ca­tion can become more rel­e­vant, empow­er­ing, and self-sus­tain­ing. This approach val­i­dates indige­nous wis­dom, pro­motes African epis­te­molo­gies, and ensures that stu­dents learn from their own his­to­ries, cul­tures, and inno­va­tions rather than being con­fined to exter­nal view­points. Fur­ther­more, local research pro­vides solu­tions to Africa’s unique socio-eco­nom­ic and envi­ron­men­tal chal­lenges, fos­ter­ing self-reliance and intel­lec­tu­al inde­pen­dence. Through these efforts, African edu­ca­tion can break free from colo­nial lega­cies and cre­ate a sys­tem that nur­tures crit­i­cal thinkers, inno­va­tors, and lead­ers root­ed in their own her­itage and aspi­ra­tions.

3.2 Strengthening Local Education Funding

Strength­en­ing Local Edu­ca­tion Fund­ing is a key strat­e­gy in decol­o­niz­ing African edu­ca­tion by empow­er­ing African gov­ern­ments, insti­tu­tions, and com­mu­ni­ties to take con­trol of their own edu­ca­tion­al sys­tems. His­tor­i­cal­ly, African edu­ca­tion has been heav­i­ly reliant on for­eign aid and exter­nal invest­ments, often shap­ing cur­ric­u­la and pri­or­i­ties that align with donor inter­ests rather than local needs. By increas­ing local fund­ing, African nations can devel­op and imple­ment edu­ca­tion poli­cies that are tai­lored to their spe­cif­ic cul­tur­al, eco­nom­ic, and social con­texts, free from exter­nal influ­ence. This fund­ing can be direct­ed towards improv­ing infra­struc­ture, train­ing local teach­ers, and devel­op­ing indige­nous edu­ca­tion­al mate­ri­als that reflect the continent’s diver­si­ty. Addi­tion­al­ly, invest­ing in local edu­ca­tion allows for the pro­mo­tion of African lan­guages, his­to­ry, and val­ues, ensur­ing that stu­dents are edu­cat­ed in ways that are mean­ing­ful and rel­e­vant to their lives. Strength­en­ing local fund­ing ulti­mate­ly leads to greater auton­o­my in edu­ca­tion, reduces depen­den­cy on for­eign donors, and helps build a more inclu­sive, sus­tain­able, and equi­table edu­ca­tion­al sys­tem that tru­ly serves the needs of Africa’s future gen­er­a­tions.

3.3 Encouraging Homegrown Higher Education

African uni­ver­si­ties should devel­op their own accred­i­ta­tion sys­tems instead of rely­ing on West­ern insti­tu­tions. For instance South Africa’s Uni­ver­si­ty of Cape Town has become a glob­al­ly rec­og­nized insti­tu­tion, demon­strat­ing that African uni­ver­si­ties can com­pete at an inter­na­tion­al lev­el.

4. Promoting African Identity and Critical Thinking

A decol­o­nized edu­ca­tion sys­tem should empow­er stu­dents with knowl­edge of their cul­tur­al her­itage and the skills to ana­lyze glob­al and local issues crit­i­cal­ly.

4.1 Civic Education and Leadership Training

Schools should teach about African gov­er­nance sys­tems, Pan-African­ism, and eco­nom­ic self-reliance. Ghana, as an exam­ple, is work­ing on cur­ricu­lum reforms to empha­size cre­ativ­i­ty and prob­lem-solv­ing.

4.2 Decolonizing Religious Education

Includ­ing African spir­i­tu­al tra­di­tions along­side main­stream reli­gions in Reli­gious Stud­ies is a vital step in decol­o­niz­ing African edu­ca­tion by rec­og­niz­ing the rich­ness and diver­si­ty of African belief sys­tems that were often mar­gin­al­ized or sup­pressed under colo­nial rule. Colo­nial­ism not only intro­duced for­eign reli­gions but also under­mined indige­nous spir­i­tu­al prac­tices, brand­ing them as prim­i­tive or infe­ri­or and total pagan­ism. By incor­po­rat­ing African spir­i­tu­al tra­di­tions; such as those root­ed in ances­tral wor­ship, nature rev­er­ence, and indige­nous cos­molo­gies; into the cur­ricu­lum, African edu­ca­tion becomes more inclu­sive, reflec­tive of its cul­tur­al her­itage, and authen­tic to its peo­ple. This shift allows stu­dents to explore and appre­ci­ate the depth of African spir­i­tu­al­i­ty, fos­ter­ing a sense of pride, iden­ti­ty, and belong­ing. It also chal­lenges the dom­i­nance of Euro­cen­tric reli­gious frame­works, pro­vid­ing a more holis­tic under­stand­ing of glob­al reli­gious and spir­i­tu­al diver­si­ty. Ulti­mate­ly, it empow­ers African learn­ers to recon­nect with their cul­tur­al roots, reclaim­ing and pre­serv­ing their spir­i­tu­al her­itage in a mod­ern edu­ca­tion­al con­text.

4.3 Encouraging Independent Thought

Schools should shift from rote mem­o­riza­tion to prob­lem-solv­ing and inno­va­tion-based learn­ing.

5. Strengthening Regional Educational Cooperation

A uni­fied approach to edu­ca­tion across Africa can enhance col­lab­o­ra­tion, knowl­edge shar­ing, and stu­dent mobil­i­ty.

5.1 Developing a Pan-African Education Framework

African coun­tries should har­mo­nize their edu­ca­tion sys­tems to reflect shared val­ues and eco­nom­ic pri­or­i­ties. The African Con­ti­nen­tal Free Trade Area (AfCF­TA) could be extend­ed to include edu­ca­tion coop­er­a­tion.

5.2 Creating More African Scholarships

Gov­ern­ments and pri­vate enti­ties should fund schol­ar­ships for African stu­dents with­in the con­ti­nent.

5.3 Encouraging Exchange Programs

Uni­ver­si­ties should pro­mote intra-African stu­dent and fac­ul­ty exchanges instead of send­ing tal­ent to the West.

Conclusion

Decol­o­niz­ing edu­ca­tion in Africa requires a mul­ti-faceted approach that pri­or­i­tizes local knowl­edge, prac­ti­cal skills, and eco­nom­ic empow­er­ment. By reform­ing cur­ric­u­la, strength­en­ing voca­tion­al train­ing, reduc­ing depen­den­cy on West­ern influ­ences, and fos­ter­ing region­al coop­er­a­tion, African gov­ern­ments can cre­ate an edu­ca­tion sys­tem that tru­ly serves the needs of the con­ti­nent. Ulti­mate­ly, edu­ca­tion should be a tool for lib­er­a­tion, equip­ping Africa’s youth with the knowl­edge and skills to dri­ve sus­tain­able devel­op­ment and eco­nom­ic inde­pen­dence.

Silas Mwau­dasheni Nande is a teacher by pro­fes­sion who has been a teacher in the Min­istry of Edu­ca­tion since 2001, as a teacher, Head of Depart­ment and cur­rent­ly a School Prin­ci­pal in the same Min­istry. He holds a Basic Edu­ca­tion Teacher Diplo­ma (Ong­we­di­va Col­lege of Edu­ca­tion), Advanced Diplo­ma in Edu­ca­tion­al Man­age­ment and Lead­er­ship (Uni­ver­si­ty of Namib­ia), Hon­ors Degree in Edu­ca­tion­al Man­age­ment, Lead­er­ship and Pol­i­cy Stud­ies (Inter­na­tion­al Uni­ver­si­ty of Man­age­ment) and Mas­ters Degree in Cur­ricu­lum Stud­ies (Great Zim­bab­we Uni­ver­si­ty). He is also a grad­u­ate of ACCOSCA Acad­e­my, Kenya, and earned the priv­i­lege to be called an “Africa Devel­op­ment Edu­ca­tor (ADE)” and join the ranks of ADEs across the globe who ded­i­cate them­selves to the pro­mo­tion and prac­tice of Cred­it Union Ideals, Social Respon­si­bil­i­ty, Cred­it Union, and Com­mu­ni­ty Devel­op­ment Inspired by the Cred­it Union Phi­los­o­phy of “Peo­ple Help­ing Peo­ple.” Views expressed here are his own opin­ion but nei­ther for the Min­istry, Direc­torate of Edu­ca­tion, Arts and Cul­ture nor for the school he serves as a prin­ci­pal.