Policy harmonization across the Black World deserves great energy and focus. It is the catalyst for African Economic Independence. Ghana, and for that matter, no single Black Country can successfully evolve and hold on to economic independence in isolation. African unity is a certainty in this regard. We dealt with policy harmonization on the currency, visa and transportation sector reorganization, respectively in papers 1 and 2.
In this third paper the educational system is our policy for harmonization in Africa towards economic independence. This covers both content and form. The form of curricular though, is our current major consideration. This paradigm shift of the African nation can potently be exploited through exchange programs. This can be extended beyond the educational institutions to cover public corporate bodies. Private corporate bodies can also be encouraged to follow through.
Educational institutions must develop exchange programs systematically on a mass scale with colleague institutions in other districts, regions and countries. Junior Secondary School students for example, must spend a term or year out of their program in colleague schools in different district. This program may include living with foster parents. This is because Junior Secondary Schools are generally not boarding facilities.
Secondary school level can have equivalent exchange programs, but with colleague institutions in other regions. The SSS system is generally a boarding facility and may therefore be a bit easier in organization. University level programs, with relative matured students, can then have a semester or year program with colleagues in other African countries. Such a system developed in the educational curricular of African countries will be of immeasurable benefits to the African Unity agenda.
This must be tabled for adoption at the African Union as a policy program for continental unity. This exchange program must be considered a core foundation for African Unity towards economic independence. The resultant experience of such programs will broaden students' national and continental perspectives. Meeting parents, students, teachers and systems of other districts, regions and countries respectively, will create a great positive national and continental paradigm for African Unity.
Aside the immediate and ultimate economic benefits, the exchange program will drastically dilute if not totally eliminate, ethnically entrenched mindset in favour of a continental and national one.
Prejudices from ignorance of other Ghanaians and Africans will begin to evaporate. Bonds of lifetime friendship will be struck. Marriages will develop from such programs. Knowledge and understanding of other traditions and systems are at the core of appreciating same. The civil service and corporate world must be encouraged to carry these exchange programs into official programming.
This exchange program and plan will move the African Unity agenda down from the political chambers to the general populace level. The mass of the African people will then be full participants in this national and continental agendum. Sustainability of both national and continental unity with immeasurable economic, social and political benefits will begin manifestation.
Ghanaian and African cohesion will become a great success. It is only in this cohesion that we gain strength to develop our cultural, social, economic and political systems. These systems are what will give us binding and permanency effect and efficiency in national development.
The Berlin conference that geographically partitioned African was purely an economic obstruction for the Black World. Both the savage slavery and cruel colonization were all economic enterprises. They have created psychological walls in Africa. These walls have become the real mines of economic warfare. Germany and the West collapsed the Berlin Wall for economic progress. We must do same.
Pan Africanism is the chisel. African Unity is the hammer. African Union Is the sculptor. The African people are the sculpture material. We have all it takes to conquer the last stage before the realization of the great promise. “The independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African continent". African must unite! Nkunim wo ho mayen!! God Bless Africa!!!
AUTHOR: YAW NKUNIM SCULPTOR, WRITER, CONCEPT DEVELOPER AND CPP MEMBER
