IMPERATIVE OF AN AFROECOSOLIDARITY CURRICULUM FOR AFRICAN CHILDREN IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Abstract

African children are growing up in a world in which there is continuous encroachment on the traditional values of their continent. A great aspect of African traditional values that is often neglected in the educational curriculum in Africa is environmental values. African environmental values of earth-keeping, preservation, great sense of solidarity with fellow humans and other beings and species in the universe is described in this paper as Afroecosolidarity. This paper argues for re-designing a curriculum for African children that is African-centered and that is rooted in the values of ecological solidarity. This will arm African children to help combat the environmental and social challenges that bedevils the continent. A hermeneutic and analytic methods are deployed in this paper to examine the need for such a curriculum. The way to promote this curriculum is also examined. The paper finds that African-centered social and ecological values have been denigrated and ignored by a Western-centered education. The paper concludes that an Afroecosolidarity curriculum is an imperative for Africa to face the challenges of the 21st century.