African Values and Social Studies Education

This monograph discusses the integration of traditional African values into social studies education in Malawi. It targets the curriculum as a fertile ground for breeding indigenous knowledge due to its relevance in the development of effective moral, ethical, and citizenship skills. The discussion occurs in the context of various studies on the paucity of an indigenous philosophy and the resulting dearth of local knowledge, which expose African education systems to Eurocentric values and ontologies. The study thus responds to recurring calls for the decolonization and Africanization of the curriculum for locally generated solutions to African problems. Galafa’s critical findings consolidate the basis for integration of local values into the curriculum to forge a national identity for Malawi and to develop education truly relevant to the Malawian society.