University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 1-1-1975 The social bases of educational development in Africa : social structures, policies and their implications for modernization. Kotsho Lloyd Dube University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1 Recommended Citation Dube, Kotsho Lloyd, "The ocs ial bases of educational development in Africa : social structures, policies and their implications for modernization." (1975). Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014. 2163. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1/2163 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE SOCIAL BASES OF EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA: SOCIAL STRUCTURES, POLICIES AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR MODERNIZATION A Dissertation Presented by Kotsho L. Dube Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION December, 1975 Major Subject: Educational Policy Cc) Kotsho L. Dube 1975 All Rights Reserved 11 THE SOCIAL BASES OF EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA: SOCIAL STRUCTURES , POLICIES AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR MODERNIZATION A DISSERTATION PRESENTED Kotsho L. Dube Approved as to style and content by Dr. George E.Urch, Chairman “Dr. William A. Darity ,Membei/ Acting Dean School of Education December ,1975 111 Dedication To Agatha, Nozopho, LoMama iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many people have contributed in various ways towards the realization of this dissertation effort and its entitle- ments. First and foremost, principal acknowledgments must be paid to the members of my Committee. Professor George E. Urch, the Chairman of my Committee, has worked with me right from the beginnings of the coalescence of the properties of this dissertation. His patient scholarship has been decisive in directing the orientation of this dissertation. Professor David R. Evans has been an incisive motivator and companion in the Center for International Education. To both Professors Urch and Evans, I hereby express my heartfelt thanks. Professor William A. Darity, having served in my Comprehensive Examination Committee and continued being member of the Committee until the Oral Examination has contributed significantly to both the form and substance of this work. Thanks. The beginnings of my studentship in the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts could not have been better facilitated for without the understanding and social awareness disserta- of Professor Norma Jean Anderson. I am confident this grate tion vindicates her faith in my capabilities. I am very ful for her contribution. facilities Finally, I must recognize the institutional undertaking. The for having made my studies a less hazardous V Center for International Education and the Educational Policy Studies Cluster have been inspiring places. I am pleased to have been associated with the faculty in the Center for Inter- national Education. The breed of students the 'Center' at- tracts has been a pleasure to work with. To all good things, including men and women, my thanks are due. VI ABSTRACT The Social Bases of Educational Development In Africa: Social Structures, Policies and Their Implications for Modernization (December 1975) Kotsho L. Dube, M.Ed. Ed.D. , University of Massachusetts Directed by Professor George E. Urch The purpose of this study was to identify the socio- political properties of present African societies as a basis for analyzing various categories of African development prob- lems. The study attempted to answer the following questions: What is the nature of African governmental structures? What is the relationship between governmental structures and societal structures in Africa? Africa? What approaches have dominated educational development in of What educational and social factors can answer the problems educating African society? areas of The study was divided into four complementary in African emphasis. The first area categorized the problems involving politi- development. African development was seen as innovations. The inno- cal, economic, social and educational modernization. vations were analyzed within the concepts of phenomenon that con- Modernization was seen as a non-autonomous Vll sists of a series of processes and changes that are induced by the imposition of Western institutions and values over tra- ditional African social structures. The changes that are effected are supposed to lead to institutional and value be- haviors that complement modernization. The second area of emphasis examined African educa- tional development during the early years of independence. Educational development policies were seen as primarily deter- mined by the imperatives of manpower insufficiencies for the overall development of the newly independent states. The poli- cies were also motivated by the social desire to increase the number of literate Africans. The problems in educational development in Africa were caused by lack of financial resources for the expansion of school systems. Other categories of problems were the result of planning inefficiencies and the competition of sectors for much needed development capital. The third area of the study treated educational develop- ment in Zambia since that country's attainment of independence. Zambian educational policy was considered suited to examination of the whole area of development education because Zambia pos- sessed two unique positions at independence. First, it lacked the necessary indigenous skills for the development of its rich copper industry without expatriates. Secondly, Zambia, unlike most African states, was fortunate to be in a favorable budgetary situation for an ambitious educational development effort. Vlll . Zambia's basic problems in educational policy were those related to redirecting educational policy toward attain- ing an indigenous man-power infra-structure. Consequently, the educational system had to be consciously designed for national development. The fourth section of the study dealt with educational and social factors that were considered essential in designing national learning systems for African societies. Three cate- gories of factors were outlined. There are the structures and values of the modern and traditional African society, the formal, non-formal, and informal learning systems, and the levels of technology that can be associated with the types of learning systems. This section is a proposition that subscribes to the existence of degrees of interdependence between traditional and modern value variables in the developing African society. The interdependence was seen as facilitating degrees of inter- face between the above mentioned learning systems and the levels of technology that are subsumed in the same learning systems The proposition does not subscribe to the idea of traditional African society as a change resistant type. It is suggested that patterns of exchange between modern values and traditional values can be promoted and that positive functional An value interdependence can be generated for development. cater educational design that is designed with this in mind can African society to the particular circumstances of the learning IX TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS V ABSTRACT vii LIST OF FIGURES xii LIST OF TABLES xiii Chapter One. INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ... 1 Political Problems 6 Policy Problems 8 Economic Problems 9 Social Problems 13 Educational Problems 16 Purpose of the Study 26 Method of Inquiry 27 Limitations of the Study 27 Organizations of the Study 29 Definition of Terms 30 Observations on the Literature 32 Summary Two. ASPECTS OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ORGANIZATION IN AFRICA: STRUCTURES AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT POLICY . "^7 Introduction ' Modern and Traditional Societies 38 42 Characteristics of Traditional Societies . Structure and Institution of Traditional African Education Background to Development in Africa 55 The Modernizing African Political System . Public Policies and the Decision-making Process Impacts and Implications of Change in Africa. 75 Summary X Three. EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA: STRUCTURES, POLICIES AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS 83 Introduction 83 Major Features of Colonial Education .... 88 The Social Basis of Educational Development in Africa 92 Special Problems in Educational Development in Africa 97 Summary 121 Four. ZAMBIA AS A CASE STUDY: CHANGES IN EDUCATIONAL POLICY SINCE INDEPENDENCE 124 Introduction 124 The Position at Independence 133 Educational Components of the First National Development Plan 134 The Financing of Education in Zambia .... 146 Zambia's Responses to Special Educational Problems 151 Achievements During the First National Development Plan 156 Conclusion 168 Five. INTERDEPENDENT VARIABLES FOR CONSIDERATION IN EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR AFRICAN SOCIETY . 170 Introduction 170 Background to Proposition 175 The Proposition 177 Value Basis of the Proposition 178 The Sector Approach 179 Widened Meanings of Formal, Nonformal and Informal Education 181 Relevance of the Formal and Nonformal Systems Language Education 187 Summary BIBLIOGRAPHY XI LIST OF FIGURES Chapter One 1. The Modernizing African Socio-Political