Reframing Education for Peacebuilding

UNESCO has dedicated January 24, 2024, as the International Day of Education to combat hate speech. This decision highlights the crucial role that education and educators play in fighting against hate speech. The harmful phenomenon that has been on the rise, particularly on social media platforms, is causing a significant negative impact on the unity of our societies. The spread of misinformation, hate speech, and propaganda has led to the polarization of communities, eroding the trust and empathy that hold societies together. This, in turn, has fueled the rise of intolerance, discrimination, and violence, which are posing a grave threat to the peaceful coexistence of diverse groups of people. Addressing this phenomenon and promoting responsible behaviour online is essential to strengthening the bonds of unity among individuals and communities. However, there is a need to expand the conversation about education beyond being a buzzword in development discourse. 

As a student pursuing studies in International Education and Development at the University of Sussex, I have encountered a profound realisation that the prevailing discourse often constrains the definition of education to formal Western-style pedagogy, overlooking the rich diversity of educational paradigms and the clash of ideologies that underpin educational systems worldwide. In light of this, a pertinent question arises: can education, within its current framing, genuinely serve as a herald of peace?

The global landscape of education is deeply entrenched in a clash of ideologies embroiled in a perpetual struggle between competing paradigms, from modernisation theories to neoliberalism’s pervasive influence. The imposition of Western-centric models of education as the epitome of knowledge acquisition and societal progress eclipses the rich diversity of educational traditions, indigenous wisdom, and alternative modes of learning that thrive across different cultures and regions. As one practically involved in non-formal education systems in Kaduna, Nigeria, I see loads of knowledge that could benefit society thrown away in a bid to appeal to Western ideologies. This reductionist approach marginalises non-Western educational systems and perpetuates a homogenised and hegemonic view of education, impeding the potential for inclusive and harmonious educational frameworks. The commodification of education under neoliberalism has created an inequitable system driven by market agendas. This neoliberal onslaught has commodified education into a transactional commodity, robbing it of its transformative and emancipatory potential and exacerbating social disparities in access to quality education. In many non-western countries, including Nigeria, it is not uncommon for educational administrators to inadvertently create an education system that caters only to the elite. This can happen due to various reasons, such as limited resources, lack of access to education for marginalised groups, or a focus on academic excellence at the expense of inclusivity. Unfortunately, this means that many students from disadvantaged backgrounds are left behind, unable to access the same opportunities as their more privileged peers. As a result, educators and policymakers must work towards creating a more equitable education system accessible to all, regardless of socio-economic status or other factors.

In this context, it is clear that the current framing of education, dominated by Western-centric ideologies and neoliberal agendas, presents significant obstacles to its ability to promote peace. By perpetuating hegemonic narratives and homogenising diverse educational traditions, mainstream scholarly discourse inadvertently marginalises and alienates non-Western educational systems, thereby hindering the realisation of a genuinely inclusive and peaceful educational landscape.

However, amidst these complexities and challenges, there exists an opportunity for transformative change. Education, when emancipated from the shackles of hegemonic paradigms and neoliberal commodification, possesses the potential to foster peace and inclusivity. By respecting and incorporating diverse educational backgrounds and practices, we can create a more comprehensive and inclusive learning experience that values indigenous wisdom. Education can transcend its current framing by elevating diverse learning modes to become a catalyst for social cohesion, intercultural understanding, and sustainable peace.

To this end, education should be reconceptualized as a dynamic process rooted in cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue, and mutual understanding. This entails an earnest commitment to decolonize educational curricula, amplify marginalised voices, and nurture a pedagogical approach that celebrates pluralism and promotes critical consciousness. Furthermore, an equitable and accessible educational ecosystem, devoid of neoliberal market pressures, must ensure that education becomes a unifying force that transcends social divisions and prejudices, fostering a culture of empathy, tolerance, and respect.

In conclusion, the International Day of Education serves as a poignant reminder of the indispensable role of education and educators in countering hate speech and nurturing peaceful societies. While the clash of ideologies and the neoliberal commodification of education present formidable challenges, the potential for transformative change lies in emancipating education from hegemonic paradigms and embracing inclusive, culturally diverse, and equitable educational frameworks. By doing so, education can transcend its current framing and emerge as a potent force for peace, fostering a world where diversity is celebrated, dialogue is embraced, and knowledge is a universal instrument of harmony.

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.Martin Luther King Jnr

Namse Udosen

Chevening Scholar

School Of Education and Social Works

University of Sussex

namse.udosen@gmail.com

Walk For Literacy

Walk For Literacy 2021

On September 8th 2021, history was made on the dusty streets on Ungwan Maigeiro, a bustling suburb in Chikun local government area of Kaduna state. Young men and women defied the heat blows from the flaming sun to walk for a cause. Never before had people in any part of Northern Nigeria walked the streets to encourage literacy.
The first-ever walk for literacy put together by Tanar Educational Consultancy was led by Baboshiya Asake, Namse Udosen, Ifeanyi Eze and Richard Dambo. Pushed by a burning desire to promote a reading culture in Northern Nigeria, they rallied friends and residents of the Maigeiro community to march the streets with voices of change.
To set the tone, books were sought from the public including culturally relevant reading books from the Tanar Kaduna Bookathon catalogue for children. In the end, over a thousand books were made available.
The first steps of the walk hit the ground around 11 am on that sunny Wednesday. We had printed banners, placards and flyers bold with messages of the importance of literacy. As our shoes crunched on the tar, our voices rang out with cries of literacy is life; buy a child a book today; we stand for a literate society; etc. The faces of the women and men greeted us with mixed emotions. Perplexing stares were the order of the day. This was something unusual on these streets. The children were more beacons of smiles and joy. The sight of our beautiful books and the melody of our songs were a catch. There was a six-year-old girl who picked up and told her mom she wanted to join the walk. She was the first contact on the walk and became an adrenaline shot for us.
Cynicism was rife for a good part of the walk. There were questions about our motivation. Some people came out in garments of doubts. We were thrown glances of suspicion and disdain. We were doing this for a superior cause; so we marched on. We trudged past a shop and a woman well past her youth beckoned on us. She had been thirsting for any form of education for a long time. She told us of how marriage severed her education over 40 years ago. She wanted to restore the lost ties. Our little carnival of advocacy was a motivation for her. Another victory song. She was connected to the Kaduna state agency for non-formal and adult education, reunited with an abandoned dream. Little drops soon create a flood.
The voices of the little children who were brave enough to read aloud in public were a melody to the ears. The street reading session was eye-opening. Children whose parents vested time in reading with them were better readers than children from parents who didn’t. The poor reading habits by a large swath of the population is cause for concern. The nonchalance by the generality of the population is even more worrisome. The walk for literacy allowed us to engage and remind people of the correlation between literacy and educational achievement.
According to UNESCO Nigeria has between 65 and 75 million illiterates. This is one of the highest illiteracy rates in the world. In addition to illiteracy caused by no school attendance; there is the problem of school children who can’t read after spending six years in Primary school. The World Development Report 2018 of the World Bank also shows that only about twenty (20) per cent of pupils who have finished primary school can read. Nigeria ought to feel endangered that half of its population is illiterate in a fast-moving technological global space and time.
Literacy development is the fulcrum of educational development in any society. Schooling without literacy development is a wasted opportunity and a great injustice to children.
Literacy development is the stages passed through by pupils in building their reading and spelling skills. In the last decade theories relating to building literacy in children have evolved globally. Educators and scholars have proven that literacy development is a scientific process. Studies have shown a positive correlation between the availability of quality reading materials and literacy development. Infants who are read aloud have better vocabulary by the time they start school than those whose parents don’t.
Part of the advocacy message we projected, is that at all levels of government there is a need for a literacy development plan. A plan that would guide practice in the classroom and society. The plan should encompass mass literacy and non-formal education spaces. It must be a strategic partnership that involves all members of society.
We look forward to more walks for literacy across Nigeria.