WESTERN EDUCATION AND THE NEGLECT OF AFRICAN CULTURAL VALUES IN THE NIGERIAN SCHOOL SYSTEM

Abstract

Western Education commonly referred to as the Whitman's education has failed to integrate African cultural values into its curricula. Contrary to the ideal which expects education to transmit the cultural heritage of a society to successive generation, Western education has completely alienated Africans from their traditional values. The perceived superiority of the western culture which the Whiteman and the agents of western education claim, point to the fact that the non integration of the African cultural values into western education in Africa was a deliberate attempt to disregard the identity of the people. There is an urgent need to re-evaluate the curricula offered in schools in Africa especially in Nigeria] if we must remain as a people after all, person without a culture is sociologically dead.

Keywords: African; Cultural Values; School System; Western Education; Neglect