Group 4 Assignment Topic: Philosophy of Ubuntu and other African countries and

its role to Education.

Module: BCHS 131 (Culture & Heritage Studies)

Group Members: Yvette Murongoti R2410513H

Bridget Takondekana R2410400J
Polite Mutikido R2410069C
Yeukai Talent Mahazu R247181E
Ellen T Chitsinde R247560H
Brenda Charunda R248034Y
Miriam Mavurunge 2410658X
Caroline Hakurekwi R249114H
Tendai Karimazondo R247408T
Jane Mbonje R246814c
Annah. S Mugabe R249639Z
Introduction
Only when people can relate nicely to one another will the world be a better place. That being
said, it is challenging for any one person to develop an ethical standard that is "one size fits
all." The African people developed a standard known as "unhu or Ubuntu" in many African
nations as a means of finding a common ground that might serve as a mirror across all
African communities to determine acceptable ethics. The philosophy of Ubuntu in Zimbabwe
and other African nations, as well as its function in the country's educational system, will be
the main topics of this essay.

Definition of Terms

Ubuntu

In the Kinyarwanda and Kirundi languages of Central Africa, it refers to generosity or

humanity in general; while in some dialects spoken by Banyankole, Banyoro, Batoro, and
Bakiza of Western Uganda and the Bahaya and Banyambo of Northen Tanzania, Ubuntu is
associated with human characteristics of generosity, consideration and humanity towards
others in the community (Tirivangana 2013). Kamwangamalu (2016:26) says that
“sociologically, Ubuntu is a multidimensional concept which represents the core values of
African ontologies: respect for any human being, for human dignity and for human life,
collective sharedness, obedience, humility, solidarity, caring, hospitality, interdependence,
communalism etc.” According to the two definitions given above, ubuntu is what sets
humans apart from other creatures. It is expected of a human person to have particular
qualities and values, like empathy, humility, and love, among others, in order to foster
favourable living environments within the many African societies.

Education
In a recent work, (Adeyinka, 2000, p. 19-20) defined education as: “the process of
transmitting the culture of a society from one generation to the other, the process by which
the adult members of a society bring up the younger ones”. According to Bamisaiye (1989,9)
Education is “a cumulative process of development of intellectual abilities, skills, and
atittudes, all of which form our various outlooks and dispositions to action in life generally”.
Therefore, education is a life cycle that involves repeated procedures such as teaching,
experiences, learning from experiences, and acquiring new knowledge in order to develop a
person holistically. One can never claim to have learned enough at any point in time. People
learn something new every day, which means that life is dynamic and people are always
learning new things.

“ a cumulative process of development of intellectual abilities,

Skills and attitudes, all of which form our various outlooks
and dispositions to action in life generally” (p. 9)

a cumulative process of development of intellectual abilities,

Skills and attitudes, all of which form our various outlooks
and dispositions to action in life generally” (p. 9)Therefore, one can say that education is a
life cycle that involves repeated procedures such as teaching, experiencing, learning from
experiences, and acquiring new knowledge in order to develop a person holistically. One can
never claim to have learned enough at any point in time. People learn something new every
day, which means that life is dynamic and people are always learning new things.The goal
for education in Africa is to prepare learners to embrace collectivism and communalism.
Ubuntu as a philosophy of education is based on traditional African education (Higgs, 2008)
If schools implement the philosophy of Ubuntu, they will produce individuals who are
educated in the African context. Tirivangana (2013) makes an important observation by
stating that for education to be meaningful, it must respond to the needs of a people and to
do so it must be directed by a people‟s worldview. The worldview then dictates the
people’s actions including the content of what they learn. In that regard, Tirivangana (2013)
asserts that Ubuntu is the guiding philosophy of Africans. Looking at the Zimbabwean
context, the education system has been involving in a quest to make sure that the end
product, should be ideal to serve the nation portraying values that show collectivism and
communalism.
When examining the Ubuntu philosophy and its application to education, we look at the
education system as a whole, which includes other stakeholders like parents, as well as the
leadership hierarchy that extends down to the learner. A curriculum that promotes Ubuntu
should be designed by the educational system. One of the primary goals of African curricula
is to ensure that education frees African society from the Western educational system, which
promotes individualism and capitalism in its entirety, and to adopt curricula that bring back
our culture and beliefs. Colonialism nurtured formal education systems that serve the
interests of the North, whilst undermining indigenous knowledge systems as backward,
irrational, superstitious and unscientific (Chakraborty, 2021). In contrast to the goals of the
colonial education system, which colonized people's minds by teaching them that education
was necessary to become employable while benefiting individual white families, people
should work hard for the benefit of everyone when they labor.. This has resulted in the
introduction of Education 5.0 into the Zimbabwean educational system. Its premise is that
learners ought to be taught how to add value within Zimbabwe and use their resources to
improve their own societies.
This writing also takes the viewpoint of equality in education. An educational system that
embodies the principles of Ubuntu is one in which all students are treated fairly. When one
considers the colonial era in Zimbabwe and many other African nations, such as South Africa
and Mozambique, one finds that there were separate schools for Black and White students.
This was done with the intention of ensuring that black people receive an education just to
serve as white people's slaves. Therefore, the educational concept of Ubuntu should ensure
that all students have access to education and enroll in the institutions of their choice in order
to overcome these disparities. Education was made available to everyone, thereby ensuring
equal access to education for women and minorities (Kanyongo,2005). By ensuring that
Black and White students attend the same schools, the Zimbabwean education system has
worked to accomplish these goals. Furthermore, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary
Education of Zimbabwe have set acceptable fees for learners in public schools, and no child
is allowed to remain at home because they have not paid their fees (Education Act ,15 of
2019).

Considering the structure of the school, the school leadership ought to treat every student
fairly, irrespective of their disability. "Munhu wese munhu," which means that, a person is a
person no matter how they appear. (Johnson, 2003) asserts that people with disabilities have
the same feelings as other people and also have their own unique ways of doing things, her
main argument being that ‘the presence or absence of disability doesn’t predict quality of life.
Regardless of their impairment, students should have equal access to education in accessible
schools. Special schools for individuals with disabilities ought to be abolished. This brings
out Ubuntu, which promotes love, care, and unity while defying bigotry. Currently, schools
like Danhiko and St. Giles are blatant examples of inclusive education. The able-bodied learn
how to assist and care for their challenged classmates, which develops a man with empathy
and compassion for other people.

Teaching students discipline is one more way that the Ubuntu educational philosophy serves
students. It is true that teaching manners to children is mostly the responsibility of parents,
but in order to create people in whom society can take pride, schools also need to address this
issue. For example, students may cause problems in the classroom; therefore, the school
ought to implement a disciplinary plan for them. In the event that the learner's behavior
persists, the school may involve the parents in creating a plan of action. The Shona adadge,
"mwana ndewe munhu wese," which means "a child belongs to everyone," supports this.

(Lefa, 2015) purports that sharing is one of the core principles of Ubuntu. The majority of
African civilizations share communal spaces like halls, clinics, farming implements, diptanks,
and boreholes. In the African context, a man's identity is shaped by the people around him.
Ensuring that the impoverished members of the community have access to necessities is the
duty of the community. Sharing should be ingrained in people from an early age so that it
becomes a natural part of who they are. In addition to teaching students to share, teachers
should also be role models for students, emphasizing the importance of health and safety.
Pupils can exchange items such as pens, paints, and athletic gear. Interaction clubs are
offered by some schools, and its goal is to find the less fortunate members of the community
and provide them with various items that have been collected from parents via their children.

Education with production (EWP) promoted group solidarity, co-operation, and self-reliance
among learners (Tlali, 2018). The African cultural perspective believes that the success of a
person benefits the community as a whole. The community as a whole would be in mourning
when an individual is in grieving. People who possess this characteristic are powerful. This
should be embraced by the educational system in both teaching and learning. From an early
age, children should be taught that they should rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with
those who weep. The response from many schools after Tynwald High School lost some of
its students in a bus accident is a prime example. During assembly, most schools were
observed to observe a moment of silence. A few headmasters banded together to assist the
headmaster of Tynwald High School at a memorial service held for the deceased. This
demonstrated to students that despite their geographic separation, they are all members of the
same human race.

To sum up the topic at hand, the Ubuntu ideology is fundamental to an African's education.
In our Shona language, Ubuntu is called "hunhu," because without it, an educated African is
of little service to African society. Although some could contend that a person's abilities are
the most important factor, this is untrue. No-one discipline, career path, or aspect of life does
not support the principles of Ubuntu.
Tirivangana, A. (2013), Hunhu/Ubuntu as the cornerstone of African education.
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Kamwangamalu, N.M. (2016), Ubuntu in South Africa: a sociolinguistic perspective to a
Pan- African concept. Critical Arts 13(2): 24–41.
Adeyinka, A. A. (2000). Basic concepts in education: the issues at stake. In H. J. Msango, E.
C. Mumba, & A. L. Sikwibele (Eds.), Selected topics in philosophy and education.
Lusaka: University of Zambia Press.

Bamisaiye, R. (1989): A Practical Approach to Philosophy of Education, Ibadan: AMD

Publishers.
Higgs, P. (2008). Towards an Indigenous African Educational Discourse: A philosophical
reflec-tion, International Review of Education, 54:3–4, pp. 445–458
Chakraborty, D. (2021): Decolonial saboteur. Kairos: A Journal of Critical Symposium, 6(1),
55-59.
Kanyongo, (2005). In Education 5.0 In Zimbabwe.
https://www.academia.edu/79509707/EDUCATION_5_0_IN_ZIMBABWE.
Accessed 02 September 2024
Zimbabwe Education Act, (2005), Chapter 25:04,
https://zimlii.org/akn/zw/act/1987/5/eng@2020-03-06, Accessed: 30 August 2024.
Johnson, H.M., (2003). ‘Unspeakable conversations’, New York Times, February 16,
Accessed: 2 September 2003.
Lefa, B. J. (2015). The Africa Philosophy of Ubuntu in South African Education.
https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/EJC-19ade7e3de, Accessed: 2 September
2024
Tlali, T. (2018): Towards a local philosophy of education: Embracing indigenous knowledge
systems to enhance relevance in Lesotho education. In: Lekhetho, M. (Ed.) Education
in Lesotho: Prospects and challenges (pp. 33-46). New York: Nova Science.