Nyerere Education Idea and It Aplication to Conteporary...

Educational Research and Review Vol. 4 (4), pp. 111-116, April 2009 Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/ERR ISSN 1990-3839  © 2008 Academic Journals Full Length Research Paper The implications of Nyerere’s theory of education to contemporary education in Kenya Joseph W. Nasongo1* and Lydiah L. Musungu2 2 Department of Educational Foundations, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya. Department of Educational Planning and Management, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya. Accepted 26 March, 2009 1 The question of relevance regarding education in human society is perennial. In the developing countries, education is considered to be a panacea for development. In Kenya, various†¦show more content†¦*Corresponding author. E-mail: jwamocha@yahoo.com. 112 Educ. Res. Rev. In this paper, Nyerere’s views on education are examined with a view to determine the extent of their relevance to contemporary theory of education in Kenya. This analysis is concerned with 3 aspects. First, an exploration of possible theoretical contexts of his views on education is undertaken with a view to obtaining a basis for an intelligible discussion. Second, an examination of education for self-reliance is undertaken. This is followed by an analysis of education for liberation as espoused by Nyerere. This is followed by a delineation of salient views that can enrich contemporary education in Kenya. Theoretical framework The liberal theory Liberalism envisions the ideal society to be one that embraces a wide range of individual liberties. These include, personal dignity, free expression, religious tolerance, right to own property, freedom of association, transparency of government, limitations on government power, the rule of law, equality, free market economy and free trade (Wikipedia,http://en.wikipedia.org/Liberalisms). It is incumbent upon government to uphold these freedoms in order to guarantee stability and peace. In addition, liberalism tends to encourage representative democratic governance. Here, the elected representatives are guided by the rule of law under the overall guidance of the constitution. Enshrined in the constitution are