Should We And Can We Develop An African Philosophy Of Education?: Pedagogy Of Sagacity

MICHAEL KARIUKI - 0721 666 098, mickariuki@yahoo.com

Must we and can we create an African philosophy of education?: Pedagogy of Sagacity

In 1986, Njoroge and Bennaars, published Philosophy and education in Africa an introductory text for students of education. Considering that the publication of this textbook there has been an intellectual aridity in this area of educational philosophizing in Kenya. This is in spite of the said textbook getting merely introductory or prolegomenon. Additional importantly is the model proposed and formulated in this textbook intended as a conceptual framework for creating an African philosophy of education (1986 92). This model has remained un-attempted. 

My paper will argue in the affirmative while distinguishing really should as a non-moral normative imperative and can as a question of capacity. Though indeed we should certainly create African philosophy of education this imperative remains unachievable until we have experts with requisite scholarly skills.

Trouble of shortage of educational philosophers

Authorities in philosophy of education are known as educational philosophers. They ought to be trained in technical philosophy and educational sciences. The two disciplines must meet in one. To 'meet in one,' implies that an educational philosopher will need to integrate both technical philosophy and educational sciences as an integral region of academic specialization. Educational philosopher is the middle term in between technical philosophy and educational sciences. In other words 1 should really have academic qualification as a technical philosopher and as a trained skilled teacher.

Lack of this 'meeting in one' of the two locations is to blame for lack of resources in this area. It means persons who are lesser than the perfect are teaching this discipline. There are two forms of categories of teachers of philosophy of education in Africa who are lesser than the ideal.

The generalists and the specialists, the former are expert educators with no philosophical footing. The latter are academic philosophers with no educational coaching. Each as Plato would say must be debarred and be made to give way for educational philosopher.

Generalists make philosophy of education be about common principles, aims and objectives of education. The technical philosopher makes philosophy of education too abstract and unrelated to everyday concerns of skilled teacher in schooling. The latter stand accused of arm chair speculation, the latter stands accused of generality.

The model of African philosophy of education: Pedagogy of sagacity

Pedagogy of Sagacity stands on two feet - 1 foot is planted in Sage philosophy and the other in Pedagogy of Oppressed - both feet are rooted in the conceptual model for establishing African philosophy of education as articulated by Njoroge and Bennaars (1986, 88-89).

Pedagogy of Sagacity or Sagacious Pedagogy is created as an attempt to transcend the original impetus of the project of Sage philosophy of Nairobi School. As Gail Presbey states,

I recommend that the original impetus for beginning the sage philosophy project - the defense against Euro-American skeptics who thought Africans incapable of philosophizing - has been outgrown. The present need for studies of African sages is to benefit from their wisdom, both in Africa and about the globe. I also recommend that the title 'sage' has to be problematized. While there were fine reasons to focus earlier on rural elders as overlooked wise philosophers, the emphasis now will need to be on admiring philosophical believed wherever it may well be discovered-in females, youth, and urban Africans as well. In such a way, philosophy will be additional relevant to people's lives, and further light will be shed and shared with regards to the lived expertise in Africa.

Gail concludes by pointing out that

Whether or not, and in what way, sage philosophy continues and grows will be determined in component by the tips of those who have the will to continue it their works will help define the terms "sage" and "sage philosophy" in the future.

Pedagogy of Sagacity is contemplated here as a feasible contribution to the development of Sage philosophy in terms of African philosophy of education. Njoroge and Bennaars (1986, 98) have formulated

...a standard framework within which philosophical thinking about African education have to be situated. Within this model we identified four distinct places of concern every single reflecting a certain function of Technical Philosophy, a distinct strategy in educational Philosophy and a certain trend in African Philosophy. These areas of concern are: the Ethnophilosophy of Education, the Phenomenology of African Education, the Critique of African Education and the Philosophical analysis of African Education.

The authors (1986, 88) intend this to be a normative 'framework within which to find educational philosophy in Africa.' Thus they state that (1986, 89),

...we can now establish what ought to be the key capabilities or issues of an African Philosophy of Education therefore we might possibly arrive at a MODEL that brings out the particular characteristics of a genuinely African Philosophy of Education.

For this model to be realized two criteria or conditions ought to be fulfilled, namely technical and African. As regards the former criterion 'an African Philosophy of Education, to be recognized as actually technical, (it) must display comparable functions and approaches as the Technical Philosophy of Education' (1986, 89). There are 4 functions of technical philosophy namely, crucial, rational, phenomenological and speculative (1986, 23-24). Corresponding to these four functions respectively are four approaches to philosophy of education namely, implicational, existential, important and analytical approaches (1986, 89).

With regard to the second criterion or condition African philosophy must be African that is 'it ought to reflect the trends characteristic of philosophical thinking in Africa' (1986, 89). Njoroge and Bennaars (1986, 83-89) have delineated 4 trends in African philosophy namely, ethno-philosophy, cultural philosophy, political philosophy and formal philosophy. Every single of these trends is paired with a corresponding function from the 4 technical functions of philosophy. The resulting combinations are four distinct approaches to African philosophy of education these are ethno-philosophy paired with speculative function outcomes in implications method in African philosophy of education cultural philosophy paired with phenomenological function outcomes in existential strategy political philosophy paired with important function results in vital method and lastly formal philosophy paired with analytical function outcomes in analytical strategy (1986, 89).

We can hence determine 'four significant locations of concern, which could be referred to as the basis ... of a definitely African Philosophy of Education.' These are ethno-philosophy of education phenomenology of African education critique of African education and philosophical analysis of African education. In Aristotelian causality technical functions of philosophy are the formal causes even though trends in African philosophy are the material causes. Formal and material causes are co-constitutive principles of substantial becoming, the substance of African philosophy of education is attainable within the framework of Njoroge and Bennaars. As Wittgenstein states (19812.14) 'what constitutes a picture is that its components are related to 1 an additional in a determinate way,' this is 'the pictorial form' of reality (2.15). In a pictorial form of reality 'a picture ... attached ... to reality ... reaches perfect out to it' so that the picture is the measure of what reality really should be. (2.1521). The framework of Njoroge and Bennars is the measure of what is to be regarded as African philosophy of education.

Platonic middle term

The model proposed by Njoroge and Bennaars has not but been worked out in practice. This could be due to lack of professionals who are 'extremely rare' (198678) with the ideal combinations namely, education in technical philosophy and coaching as professional educators (B.Ed). Further nonetheless development of African educational philosophy requires professionals with information and skill in African philosophy. The requirement that African philosophers of educators be doubled edged specialists in technical philosophy and specialist educators (1986 77-80) is akin to Plato's (Republic Book, V. 473d) observation that