African philosophy (of education) and post-apartheid South African schools: a critical analysis of the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement

Abstract

In South Africa, indigenous (African) knowledge is at the heart of a single detailed national Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (2012). Against this background, the study on which this article is based, examined two long-standing genres of philosophy: Western philosophy, as a critical academic discipline and African philosophy, as a collective worldview. The article shows that universal philosophy and, by implication, a universal knowledge system transcends these seemingly particular, opposite and irreconcilable Euro- centred and Afro-centred schools of thought. In doing so, the article proposes that universal philosophy as an inclusive, rational and reflective practice makes it possible to merge Western and African philosophies to form a single knowledge system. Unfortunately, the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement emphasises indigenous African knowledge systems – thus, regresses to narrow African provincialism. In the end, the author (re)establishes a universal knowledge system as a sound African philosophy of education in post-apartheid South African schools.

Keywords

• Western philosophy
• African philosophy
• African philosophy of education
• Endogenous knowledge
• Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement
• Schools