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

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

Really should 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. Because 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 becoming merely introductory or prolegomenon. More importantly is the model proposed and formulated in this textbook intended as a conceptual framework for producing an African philosophy of education (1986 92). This model has remained un-attempted. 

My paper will argue in the affirmative even though distinguishing really should as a non-moral normative imperative and can as a question of capacity. While indeed we will need to develop African philosophy of education this crucial remains unachievable until we have experts with requisite scholarly abilities.

Problem of shortage of educational philosophers

Experts in philosophy of education are known as educational philosophers. They will need to be trained in technical philosophy and educational sciences. The two disciplines must meet in 1. To 'meet in one,' signifies that an educational philosopher ought to integrate each technical philosophy and educational sciences as an integral region of academic specialization. Educational philosopher is the middle term among technical philosophy and educational sciences. In other words one particular will need to have academic qualification as a technical philosopher and as a trained expert teacher.

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

The generalists and the specialists, the former are expert educators without having philosophical footing. The latter are academic philosophers with no educational training. Both as Plato would say have to be debarred and be made to give way for educational philosopher.

Generalists make philosophy of education be about common principles, aims and goals of education. The technical philosopher makes philosophy of education also abstract and unrelated to everyday concerns of specialist 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 - one foot is planted in Sage philosophy and the other in Pedagogy of Oppressed - both feet are rooted in the conceptual model for producing 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 starting the sage philosophy project - the defense against Euro-American skeptics who believed Africans incapable of philosophizing - has been outgrown. The present will need for scientific 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. Though there had been wonderful causes to focus earlier on rural elders as overlooked smart philosophers, the emphasis now must be on admiring philosophical believed wherever it may perhaps be identified-in girls, youth, and urban Africans as nicely. In such a way, philosophy will be additional related to people's lives, and further light will be shed and shared regarding the lived encounter in Africa.

Gail concludes by pointing out that

No matter whether, 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 operates will support define the terms "sage" and "sage philosophy" in the future.

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

...a fundamental framework inside which philosophical thinking about African education must be located. Inside this model we identified four distinct locations of concern each and every reflecting a specific function of Technical Philosophy, a particular approach in educational Philosophy and a particular trend in African Philosophy. These places of concern are: the Ethnophilosophy of Education, the Phenomenology of African Education, the Critique of African Education and the Philosophical evaluation of African Education.

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

...we can now establish what ought to be the big features or concerns of an African Philosophy of Education thus we may arrive at a MODEL that brings out the specific attributes of a absolutely African Philosophy of Education.

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

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

We can therefore identify 'four main places of concern, which may possibly 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 evaluation of African education. In Aristotelian causality technical functions of philosophy are the formal causes whilst trends in African philosophy are the material causes. Formal and material causes are co-constitutive principles of substantial getting, the substance of African philosophy of education is feasible inside the framework of Njoroge and Bennaars. As Wittgenstein states (19812.14) 'what constitutes a picture is that its components are related to a single a different in a determinate way,' this is 'the pictorial form' of reality (two.15). In a pictorial form of reality 'a picture ... attached ... to reality ... reaches ideal out to it' so that the picture is the measure of what reality ought to 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 yet been worked out in practice. This could be due to lack of authorities who are 'extremely rare' (198678) with the suitable combinations namely, education in technical philosophy and instruction as skilled educators (B.Ed). Further nevertheless improvement of African educational philosophy requires professionals with information and skill in African philosophy. The requirement that African philosophers of educators be doubled edged experts in technical philosophy and specialist educators (1986 77-80) is akin to Plato's (Republic Book, V. 473d) observation that