Dr Edward Bush, the President of Consumers River College, California, United State of America has advocated for a paradigm shift in Africa’s educational system for the total liberation of the minds of all Africans.
He said it was imperative for Africans to review their educational system to make it more African-centered to instil in the youth African values, customs and traditions that were critical in the liberation struggle of the African Continent.
The President of Consumers River College was speaking at the opening of the All African Diaspora Education Summit (ADES) organized by the Obokese Foundation in partnership with the University of Cape Coast (UCC) and African American Male Education Network and the Obokese University of Excellence (OUE).
The weeklong summit is on the theme:” Reclaiming African Sovereignty Through African-centered Education; Pushing Excellence as a mantra in everything Africa and Africa through the Right Education.”
Dr Bush pointed out that the education sector was a powerful tool for Africa’s mental liberation.
“ Our colonizer’s world cannot set the education standard of Africa, education is about the mind, and therefore how we think must be African”, he indicated.
Dr Bush who doubles as the Conference Chairman of ADES, said the solution to fight against Neo-colonialism was for African countries to come out with a strong African education curriculum that will emancipate the thoughts of the African youth from mental slavery.
He said African countries ought to provide a vivid foundation for the concretisation of the younger generation on the realities of Africa.
Nana Kobina Nketsiah V, the Omanhen of Essikado Traditional Area, reiterated calls for Africans to accept Africa as their homeland and what it offered, adding that Africa should be conscious of the knowledge being imparted to the younger generation and urged teachers as front liners of the fight to be forthright.
According to the Omanhen, Africa was going through the second phase of liberation for independence and it required that the education sector put African education in perspective.
He, therefore, called on African teachers to inspire, motivate and empower students to be loyal and dedicated citizens of their countries.
Africa, he noted needed to use humanity to create and rebuild the Africa that they wanted and that the youth must lead the crusade.
Nana Obokese Ampah I, the Apagyahen of Asebu State in his remarks, said the summit was aimed at bringing together African academia to deliberate and discuss the need to restructure the education system to help change the African narrative towards growth and development.
Madam Malika Holliniside, the Chair of African America Studies at the Delta College in California USA, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) expressed gratitude to the organizers for such an impactful journey towards African liberation.
She noted that the College will after the summit begin the process of decolonization in America to liberate the minds of those in the Diaspora.
Madam Holliniside observed that it was time Africa moved forward to end learning European-centered education if the Continent will break through.
More than 450 Africans from the Diaspora within 30 American institutions are in Ghana for the weeklong education summit.
