Nnenna C. Amaonyeaso
Nnenna is a teacher in a primary school that chooses to use curricula and teaching materials from other countries. In this article, Nnenna explores the impact of using these resources on her students’ understanding of themselves and their culture.
A question from a student
A student asked me during a third-grade class, “Why do we have to learn about pounds when we live in Nigeria and use the naira?” Their question caught me off guard and made me pause mid-sentence. For a moment, I was lost for words, unsure how to respond.
“Why foreign?” The question echoed in my mind all day and in the coming days. I was just as curious as the student. Why do we teach students in the lower primary about British pounds using foreign textbooks and currencies? Surely, it would be more beneficial to teach them about the currency they use daily, and gradually introduce other currencies as they mature and gain a deeper understanding of how money works.
Reflections on Nigeria’s educational system
Historically, the power dynamics that underpin our educational system have been a huge challenge. Inequalities based on gender, socioeconomic background, geographical location, teaching methods, and materials have always affected access to quality education in Nigeria. These factors can be traced back to the colonial era, and in the last couple of years there have been calls to decolonise Nigeria’s educational system.
Decolonisation is a process that involves confronting and deconstructing the deeply rooted power structures that sustain colonial ideologies and marginalise indigenous knowledge systems. Several times in my teaching career, I encountered situations that made me realise the significant impact of knowledge, power, and ownership on our nation’s educational structure. Decolonising the curriculum involves more than just incorporating indigenous knowledge systems, languages, and cultural practices into the learning process. It is a transformative process that questions existing notions of knowledge and prioritises perspectives in our educational institutions.
Students challenged literature
In another third-grade class, I taught literature using ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’, an American text by Mark Twain. I realised that students found it difficult to connect with the story’s background. The context, terminology, 19th-century setting, and culture felt foreign to them. They asked why some of the vocabulary in the book was unfamiliar, and why we were still obligated to use foreign books even after independence. One student answered by highlighting the superiority of the West. They described its richer knowledge as the reason for the continued use of foreign books. This struck another chord.
Balancing local voices with global citizenship
Although I would normally advocate for the use of world literature in our schools to help students develop an understanding of what it means to be a global citizen, the context of this book felt foreign to my still very young students. To address this gap, I immediately drew parallels between Tom Sawyer’s adventures and experiences familiar to my students.
We explored themes of friendship, freedom, and resilience as depicted in the novel in ways that resonated with their own lives and experiences. I helped them to relate Tom Sawyer’s story to their own lives, which had a significant impact on their understanding of the literature.
Reflecting on this incident, I was impressed that the students could recognise and critically engage with diverse perspectives and challenge dominant narratives in their learning. However, once again I felt that the schools overlooked the Nigerian child as an identity and the need for instruction to have cultural relevance.
The students were becoming increasingly aware of being positioned as other and unimportant in the curriculum. I began to ask myself why Nigerian students in the early and lower primary years learn about subjects that are not part of their national, cultural, and social contexts. And why do some schools believe Nigerian books and resources are not rich enough for use in their classrooms?
Time to decolonise the curriculum
I have come to realise that the Eurocentric pedagogical approaches used in Nigerian schools, which centre on cultures and ideologies from the West, foster narrow perspectives and impact students’ cultural growth, academic involvement, and overall educational achievements. They also foster a narrow perspective, leaving some of these students feeling confused.
Bringing elements of foreign cultures into formal education can enrich students’ learning experiences and foster global knowledge. However, it is crucial to approach this integration thoughtfully to avoid undermining indigenous beliefs or practices and damaging students’ identity and self-worth.
Teaching and learning approaches should acknowledge and validate students’ cultural backgrounds, foster inclusivity, respect cultural diversity, and promote a sense of pride and belonging. When children do not see themselves in the textbooks and literature they study in school, they feel othered and inferior.
The legacy of colonial power dynamics has shaped educational content and delivery in Nigerian schools. Educational institutions that use foreign curricula and resources unintentionally promote inequality and colonial cultural hegemonies. Thus, schools must reconsider their use of foreign-designed curricula and resources and adopt more culturally sensitive methods that promote indigenous knowledge and experiences while empowering students to develop a sense of belonging and identity.
Failure to incorporate students’ cultures and identities into their learning can lead to feelings of disconnection, confusion, and inadequacy. This feeling of inadequacy can exacerbate issues such as the current average Nigerian’s perception of limited opportunities for personal and professional growth in Nigeria, leading many students to pursue education in foreign countries. This contributes to the brain drain as skilled workers choose to work abroad instead of contributing to the nation’s progress.
Addressing diversity in education is crucial for fostering tolerance and cultural sensitivity, as well as the strategic necessity to retain a sense of pride and adequacy for the Nigerian child, as a future Nigerian.
A call to action
There is, therefore, an urgent need for decolonisation in Nigeria to promote cultural inclusivity, empower diverse perspectives, and foster equitable learning environments. Decolonisation reaches far beyond making changes to textbooks or syllabi. It involves a profound transformation of education that places a high priority on the identity and value of the Nigerian child.
This is a plea for educators, schools, and policymakers to join forces. We must foster learning settings that acknowledge and celebrate global knowledge while aggressively promoting a local sense of belonging, pride, and empowerment among all students.
Nnenna is a primary school teacher in Nigeria. She can be contacted via the EENET office.