Why We Should Teach Democracy in Africa

Abstract

Democracy has become a cherished ideal in Africa. Many countries in- Africa claim to be democratic with a number of them incorporating, the. word ‘democratic’ in their names. Liberation struggles were waged in the name of democracy, yet in terms of governance democracy appears to be the. one thing.that seems to elude Africa. Various happenings like genocide, ethnic cleansing; coups d’etats and other political disturbances are ample evidence of this failure to establish democratic governance in African states. It is in this context that it is argued in this paper that if Africa is to realize,the dream of attaining democracy, which its people have opted for, educational institutions must play their part by teaching the concept of democracy.. However, the teaching of democracy in schools requires that the whole community be involved through the establishment of democratic culture .in public institution if.it is to succeed. What the school teaches can only take root if it finds support within society. In other words, there is need for a holistic approach to democracy that results in democracy permeating.every aspect of life. Thus, the paper also discusses some of the ways in which democracy can be taught. The focus of the paper is Africa, not because Africa is the only continent in the world that is struggling to realize the ideal of democracy, but simply because of the situatedness of the writer in Africa. Being rooted in Africa, one is compelled to reflect on how life in A frica' can be improved given the diversity of the citizens of many African countries.