A critical examination of the concept of education for self-reliance with reference to Swaziland
Date
1993
Authors
Vilakati, Alpheus Velamuva
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Abstract
In this research report I try zo critically investigate the
concept of education for self-reliance, a policy which some
African leaders such as Julius Nyere of Tanzania have tried to
implement. Amongst other things these African leaders claimed
that the education system provided in the 1960's in former
African colonies was inadequate and inappropriate for peoples who
were still developing. For example Nyerere of Tanzania claimed
that graduates of the education system in Tanzania prior to 1967
had the attitude of looking down upon manual skills and manual
labour in preference to knowledge appropriate to white-collar
jobs. As a result Nyerere launched his policy of education for
Self-reliance for Tanzania in 1967. Implicit in Education for
self-reliance is the idea of the vocationalisation of education.
However, the research report posits that while such an idea is
acceptable the concept of education for self-reliance needs
careful analysis in order to be a viable notion of any education
system. Education for self-reliance as practised hitherto by
former African colonies seems to have been biased towards
community or national development to the extent of undermining
individual development of a person's individuality. Thus this
research report focuses on the concepts of individual and
community regarding the aims of education with reference to
Swaziland. The education system in Tanzania before 1967 is
examined in order to provide some case study since Tanzania seems
to have been the only country which has formaly put into practise
the policy of education for self-reliance.
Description
A Research Report submitted to the Faculty of Education, University of the Witwatersrand in partial fulfilment of the degree in of Master of Education at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Keywords
Education -- Swaziland., Vocational education -- Swaziland, Self-reliance