African Education Vs American Education Essay

In America, we are told that it is the land where everything and anything is possible. For many years, it wasn’t like that for African American. With many hard work, strength, and courage African American manage to earn the right to an education. To the African American community education became more of a need than a want. We’ve learn that education is such a powerful asset that with it you are unstoppable. You can do so much if you put your time and energy to it. Having an education to African American is the one hope for a brighter and better

Today's education is often viewed as failing in its goal of educating students, especially those students characterized as minorities, including African American, Hispanic, and Appalachian students (Quiroz, 1999). Among the minority groups mentioned, African American males are affected most adversely. Research has shown that when Black male students are compared to other students by gender and race they consistently rank lowest in academic achievement (Ogbu, 2003), have the worst attendance record (Voelkle, 1999), are suspended and expelled the most often (Raffaele Mendez, 2003; Staples, 1982), are most likely to drop out of school, and most often fail to graduate from high school or to earn a GED (Pinkney, 2000; Roderick, 2003).

For blacks, the history of higher education typically points to segregated education. Before the Civil War, the social system promoted the belief that blacks wouldn’t get return on their time spent in higher education. Brown and Ricard (2007) noted that most North institutions were reluctant to allow black enrollment in colleges and universities, and in the South, where slaveholder’s were still powerhouse businessmen, slaves would never be allowed to become more educated than their owners. The reluctance of the White leaders to allow blacks to formally be accepted into higher education programs held blacks back from achieving what many aspired to, and were fully capable of, experience.

A few weeks ago, I was walking downtown, when this random came up to me and said “You in school? That’s good, that’s good. Education is important.” From the state of her hair and clothes, and the smell of her breath, I assumed she was homeless. I didn’t really pay much attention to her, because homeless people are so common in downtown Atlanta. I was just hoping that she wasn’t going to ask me for any money! After a while, I started thinking about what the homeless woman had said; “Education is important.” Growing up, I had always been taught that people who lived in the streets had been afforded the same opportunities as I had, but they had simply chosen to ignore them.

Historically black colleges and universities, otherwise known as HBCUs, have played an integral role in advancing the education of underprivileged black teenagers since their inception after the American Civil War. They have had students extremely well known in their fields today, such as billionaire entertainer Oprah Winfrey, the first African American Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, and civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. Though their graduation rates tend to be around 1 in 3, they have produced a majority of successful African American professionals. For the continued advancement of African Americans, HBCUs are necessary for offering educational opportunities that their students had been historically denied and presently out of financial reach, while promoting strong family values and equality that may be lacking at traditional schools and displaying positive African American role models in their alumni and staff.

Education has always been valued in the African American community. During slavery freed slaves and those held captive, organized to educate themselves. After emancipation the value of education became even more important to ex-slaves, as it was their emblem of freedom and a means to full participation in American Society (Newby & Tyack, 1971). During this time many schools for African Americans were both founded and maintained by African Americans. African Americans continued to provide education throughout their own communities well into the 1930’s (Green, McIntosh, Cook-Morales, & Robinson-Zanartu, 2005). The atmosphere of these schools resembled a family. The

“I don’t mind if I have to sit on the floor at school. All I want is an education,” said Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist for female education. In today's society, many people don’t realize how grateful they should be for the education they receive. Even the slightest education is much more than people were receiving just three centuries ago, and even more than people in countries besides the United States of America. In specifics, women and African Americans were once unable to pursue any form of education in the United States, along with many other ethnicities.

Before the 1950s, majority of the women that desired a college education went to an all girls school. These all girl colleges were safer and less intimidating for many women. The women were divided by race because of slavery. Educated women were the minority as many of them were talked out of pursuing a high education.

Education is a large problem for children in Africa. Many children long to go to school to learn to read and write, but most can not because they simply do not have the money. Some parents do not allow their children to go to school because they are needed to help out at home. The children who get the privilege to go to school must leave their home very early, because the trip to school is made on foot and is many hours long. Most children that travel to school leave so early they are hours early to their lessons, this is done so they do not have to endure the blistering heat. As you can see education in Africa is very difficult for children.

The Apartheid in South Africa occurred between 1948 and 1994. The population was racially segregated as a part of the policy of the active government, the National Party (NP). Public services, such as education and health care, were segregated between white and black populations. The services provided to white people were far superior to the services offered to black people. As a result the black majority and other racial minorities were firmly established below the poverty line.

Gender roles involving education could potentially be hurting countries in Africa. A country’s development is based off providing a good education. When both men and women are equipped with learning and shared decisions, the productivity of a society rises. It is very important for women to be educated along with men because this also improves the health of a nation.

The existing pattern of manipulated schooling in South Africa can be considered an outcome of colonialism, segregation and apartheid. In the early 1800s, the arrival of the British introduced the first system of education in Africa. The indigenous people of Africa were exposed to schooling under the provision of British missionaries. At this time, education was a means of spreading the British language, imposing their religion and just a general mechanism for social control. Their strategy was to ‘civilize’ the black Africans and ‘anglicize’ the white Afrikaners. And most of the school establishments were mixed, serving whites coloreds and Africans. However, the Afrikaners resisted European control in attempt to avoid becoming the lower

“Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.” Education is important because a more educated society will be more successful. It is urgent that education is compulsory and free in Africa, including after primary school because the youth needs to have the basic skills and be educated enough to live successful and productive lives. The children represent the future of the country, and if they are educated, the country is set to become more prosperous in the future.

South Africans had been living under the system of apartheid since 1948 where citizens were divided by race and kept separate through certain system of laws which governed all aspects of daily life. Even though black people were in majority they were denied the right to vote in National elections. The educational system was designed not to educate young blacks into professionals but to prepare them to serve white upper class. Apartheid went further to divide the schools into racial groups therefore the white schools were so advantaged within resources compared to the black schools within the town of Soweto. Government also insisted that the Afrikaans language be used as the medium in all local schools which created enormous distress amongst black students. Many divisions between black and white took place in society. The black people found themselves infuriated by the fact that they were slaves in their own country of birth.

Sub-Saharan Africa shares a long history of governmental efforts made to strengthen educational development in order to support economic and social development within the region. In various districts of Africa, education has been put at the forefront of national policy. However, there are still many obstacles towards achieving educational development. Following the Second World War, many countries in Africa agitated for independence from colonial powers. Since the 1960s, African governments have been grappling with problems of development and nation building, and education has been a key component of this process. For Africa, the goal of Education For All (EFA) was initially targeted for 2000, however this became much less of a reality when analyzing the quality of education produced in the region and the efforts made towards teacher development.