I came across a manuscript on quotations by a Ghanaian woman the other day. She found quotations useful but the quotation books at hand were rather Eurocentric and gave the impression that Africa has no great thinkers. Living in the United Kingdom she wanted to encourage the critical mass of Africans and people of African descent who appear to have lost inspiration and self-esteem over there to regain their self-confidence and pride by discovering that Africans have achieved a lot and continue to do so, and that thinking has always been at the centre of the African psyche. I began to reflect on my own education and wondered whether the system made and continues to make us to look outside for ideas and wisdom. In my youth the learned quoted from Virgil, Horace, Bacon, Shakespeare and the great writers and thinkers of Europe. Other things we were taught made us look outside for ideas and the way forward. I must confess I found the orientation of the educational system useful when I went to university in England. I could fit in with my fellow students in manners, general knowledge and ideas. I could take part readily in small talk and discussions and make my contributions when quotations from the learned British and even European authors were made. My English friends could not believe that I did not have any secondary education in England. I became thankful and proud of my Achimota upbringing. Fortunately the Achimota heritage was less Eurocentric despite the preponderance of British and commonwealth members on the senior staff. In any case Miguel Ribeiro will not let you forget the apogee of Timbuktu and William Ofori Atta shed new light on events with lively critical commentaries on British and colonial history, while KB Ateko opened the mind by lucid accounts of traditional and eastern religions. The Achimota and other experience show that education is not about buildings, syllabus and examinations. Teachers are most important. They must be true and enthusiastic about their calling and inspire their pupils with self-esteem and self-confidence. Quotations by themselves will not necessarily inspire. When teachers make them alive, the students will search for more and take pride in their heritage. The Eurocentric nature of our educational system is a problem, which is not easily tackled. Going back, as I described my experience in England, the kind of education in vogue made me escape that complex of inferiority which arises from inability to settle in a different environment. But it also made me unconscious to accept a world view which ignored African achievements and capacity. This ignorance saps the confidence of the individual and the community. Kwame Nkrumah realised the importance of African self-confidence and self-esteem and at Flagstaff House, we widely proclaimed the contribution of Africans to human civilisation. Many of us are not aware of African contribution past and present. We quote from non-African writers and thinkers and we came to believe that the wise came from the West. We should emancipate our minds from the complex which makes us accept the views and prejudices of outsiders while we ignore local expertise and wisdom. Our educational system should deal with this problem in all its subtle manifestations. We live in a global village and the educational regime in a small country like Ghana should take cognisance of what is happening elsewhere. There is a lot of wrong with our educational set up in Ghana. But what is wrong is not the inability of any of our school products to enter Sixth Form in England or continue in mid-stream somewhere else. The system should answer local needs and aspirations. If it does that, it should not be found wanting outside. A senior secondary school student may not be able to fit in easily into a British secondary school. But a graduate in physics or mathematics from our universities should be able to do a master’s course in any other university. The educational system cannot ignore what is happening in the global village. But it cannot be so Eurocentric that it fails to instil African pride and achievement. We should first of all come down to earth and ensure that six years schooling enables our boys and girls to read and write. But education should not be merely utilitarian, it should enable us to take pride from the stock whence we spring. It should strengthen our self-esteem and confidence. It should make us maintain that which is true and of value in our culture despite what happens even in Britain. Credit: K.B. Asante/Daily Graphic