Talking points
Reflections and commentary
We invite discussion and opinion pieces from teachers, researchers, managers and students about any topical issues relating to decolonising curricula and/or the attainment gap between white and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students. If you would like to contribute a 'talking point' piece, please contact Vipin Chauhan.
Comments
Commenting on Dr Helen McCabe's contribution on the essay mills in Kenya
Just read the summary by Helen McCabe. Trade deals between the former colonising states and newly independent states of Africa are designed to benefit the former as they discourage the free African countries from building capacity for value addition to their produce and resources to be able to gain more benefit in trading with these states. Markets and prices are controlled by the EU through rules and regulations, some of which are difficult to attain by the African states which are at a developing state coupled with many other challenges such as drought, famine, war, corruption and many others.
Also, the generation that experienced colonialism and the one that came in as colonialism was fading have not done a good job of making the incoming generation aware of colonialism and how bad it was. Tackling the current mind set of many young people in the African continent is key to helping in decolonisation. The perception on the ground is that anything from the west is superior to what is produced in Africa. The other problem is lack of good leadership especially in the political arena. The injustices and suffering of colonialism and slavery should be kept alive and tackled from generation to generation or else, we risk the justification and normalisation of what was done in many regions of the world.
Michael Kioko
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