In an article I wrote recently, I quoted from the British statesman Edmund Burke. A Ghanaian woman who had been engaged in organising ‘African History Month’ in London during the past few years asked me why I did not quote from an African author. I said African writings were not readily handy. I added that our academics had not done enough to make the thoughts of African writers easily accessible. She did not think that I had a case and immediately went on the Internet to reveal writings of Chinua Achebe and other African writers. Even I was listed! And why should we be familiar with the thoughts of African writers and achievers? The young woman argued that we unwittingly created the impression that only others have achieved something. We are not aware of what Africans have done and sub-consciously we accept the view that the African is not the equal of others. The young woman gave me a book by an African-American historian Carter Godwin Woodson entitled the “Mis-Education of the Negro". Dr Woodson is of the view that "when you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his ‘proper place’ and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary". There are harsh words which run through the book. But I reflected on them. I did not agree with all of Dr Woodson's observations but I came to the conclusion that he had not revealed something profound about our education which we should address. Many of us have escaped the snares Euro-centric education has imposed on us. Many of us were lucky to be educated to recognise and appreciate what is true and of lasting value in the African way of life. But the Euro-centric education of many more has become a liability. Their education has brainwashed them - to "want to conform to the standards of the white". And even those of us who have not been completely mentally enslaved give the impression through our behaviour that the ultimate in life is to think and be like others in distant "developed" lands. The time has come to confront our history. Enslavement and colonialism had to be rationalised by the oppressors. The justification was fed into our minds. In latter years we had to be "nurtured" to be ripe for self-government as if we were not governing ourselves before colonialism. And we so lapped it up that self-government meant aping the structures of governance in the "mother country" be it Britain or France. We should realise that the conditions of today in the so-called developed countries have been determined by what has taken place in the part. There is no one path to development. We should free our minds from the edicts of the economists and foreign dominated international organisations. We should stop arguing like children about state and private enterprises. We should not ignore history because the economic textbooks either leave history out, or do not stress its significance. We should appreciate the role of the state in the development of Germany and the significance of state enterprises in France. We seem to have been mis-educated not to see clearly or think for ourselves. We can and should certainly learn from others but our situation and conditions are different from those of other countries and we alone can solve our problems. We have to relieve ourselves of stifling tradition, practices and corruption. We have to nurture that self confidence and determination to move Ghana forward by thinking and hard work. To do this we should in December elect representatives with home-grown ideas to lead the country forward. They may consult and collaborate with the leaders and representatives of foreign powers, but they should not do their bidding like mis-educated Africans. And how do they ensure that the people are not mis-educated? Obviously if they are mis-educated they will be most reluctant to follow independent leadership. This naturally brings in the importance of education in national development. Fortunately, all those who seek our mandate understand the importance of education in a general sort of way. But they should go further and deeper, and examine the content and aims of our educational system. The system should produce, Ghanaians who are proud of their heritage and who believe they are as good as any other people. It is not easy. Our teaching and books, especially history books, should inculcate pride in the best of the African character. Our people should realise that only Ghanaians can make this country a fit and live-able place for its people. This cannot be if the government runs the economy in such a way that talented educated youth want to flee the country for greener pastures. That flight is an index of that absence of pride which is an indication of mis-education. We should break the vicious cycle which constrains us from managing the economy according to the facts of our situation, and eschew the mis-education that has imprisoned our minds. Daily Graphic Feature by K.B. Asante