What China can Teach Us about African-centered Education

In 1872, China sent 120 boys to America to learn and bring back information to help the Chinese society succeed in military campaigns. The plan was for them to stay for 15 years and then come back and work in the government.

While in America, they did well academically and it seemed like the experiment would be successful.

Yet, as time wore on, the Chinese boys started to become more and more European in dress and worldview. Some cut their hair in European styles, several changed their names to European names, and many become Christian, forsaking their traditional beliefs.

In order to counter the effects of europeanization, the sponsors for the experiment mandated that the Chinese students spend one hour a week in Chinese studies.

Yet, this was too little too late for the students were too thoroughly indoctrinated with western ways.

The Qing dynasty abandoned program in 1881. Just nine years after it started.

The program directors thought the students could imbibe the technical knowledge while shunning the cultural and spiritual aspects of western culture. Boy, were they wrong.

So what is the lesson for us?

We must understand, overstand, innerstand that education is inherently political, cultural, and spiritual. If we want our young warriors to learn and live our values and culture, then we must not hand them over to others to groom, mold, and shape.

The excuse that the public, private, or charter fool system has "better" resources does not negate the negatives that come along with a eurocentric education. And "teaching them the truth" when they get home doesn't negate the 40 hours a week of miseducation. You read what happened to the Chinese students and they were only there for nine years. We give ours away for at least twelve.

I know we want our children to get a good education and give back to their community, but like the Chinese students, our best educated seem to develop a disdain for their origins and people after being schooled for years by our oppressors.

In short, if we want Afrikan warrior scholars who love themselves and are academically excellent, we must educate them ourselves. We already know the results of the experiment. It is very similar to the Chinese students from the Qing Dynasty.

China is the best in standardized tests because that's all they do. They are the worst because the education doesn't foster creativity and entrepreneurs.