Inadequacies of the notion of assimilation in African education

Intends to show that assimilation is only one mode of response to the educational implications of the colonial situation, and should be contrasted with accommodation. The first part of this article demonstrates how all colonial powers practise assimilation in the field of education, that is, how they generalise to the African context the principles underlying the organisation and articulation of metropolitan institutions. In the second part, adopting the African frame of reference, the A. examines hov African students either generalise to the educational context certain aspects of their traditional culture, or alternatively modify the latter to meet successfully the demands of the school. Notes.