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LECTURER: MR D MOYO.
TASK.
Discuss with relevant illustrations the different definitions of the term philosophy.
The term is derived from a Greek word which itself was made up of two words,
mainly:
i. Philos-meaning love.
When the two are put together they from philosophia meaning love of knowledge or
wisdom.
People get knowledge through asking questions and trying to provide the answers.
Philosophical inquiry is therefore the search for complete truth or quest for ultimate
reality.
logical, consistent and systematic thinking so that conclusions that are reached are
CATEGORIES OF PHILOSOPHY.
It is one world view, assumptions, beliefs and principles one has about his behaviour.
It is the way one understands reality about self, community and about the society as
whole.
issues.
The aim of this thinking is to arrive at conclusions that are sound, coherent and
consistent.
The main tool for the rigorous philosophical activity is reasoning and logical
reasoning.
In this sense philosophy is divided into four main broad categories which have
1. METAPHYSICS.
Meta-means beyond. This perspective deals with the nature of reality.
DATE: 03-02-2014.
LECTURER: MR D MOYO.
2. EPISTEMOLOGY.
It is a study that questions the nature of knowledge, the sources of knowledge and the
process of knowing.
It asks questions such as “What is it to know”, “what is the difference between
knowing and believing”, “how is knowledge acquired”, “what are the sources of
subjective’.
3. AXIOLOGY.
1. ETHICS- deals with issues of morality which is an evaluation of right and wrong,
there are universal, objective standards for measuring what is artful and beautiful.
1. DEDUCTIVE REASONING.
2. INDUCTIVE REASONING.
Philosophers are engaged in the search for truth as they take a comprehensive view by
While factual questions are straightforward, philosophical questions are debatable and
CONCLUSION.
Philosophy is the inquiry into the principles of knowledge, reality and values that
constitute wisdom.
Philosophy is not about providing answers but about asking the right questions.
ways of thinking which have it made possible to classify them into different
REFERENCES.
Press.
LECTURER: MR D MOYO.
of an individual.
According to Osman and Cravers (1986) education involves at least two things i.e.
1. Passing the cultural heritage from one generation to the other so that essential
Peresuh and Nundu (1999) see education not only as a process but also a product.
Peters (1966) sees education as a normative term that has an inbuilt value which
manner.
“…... these processes of learning will enable the person to acquire all the skills,
behaviours, knowledge, values and norms which are considered worthwhile in the
Langford (1986) says education is what goes on in schools and formal institutions
of learning.
I call therefore a complete and generous education that which fits a man to
perform justly, skilfully and magnanimously in both public and private peace and
laws.
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION.
philosophical ideas.
1. What are some of the assumptions that we often hold about education.
2. Aretheseassumptionstrue?
CONCLUSION.
IDEALISM.
It is a philosophical approach that believes that ideas are the only true and reality
worth knowing.
The idea of the thing is real and the thing in itself is simple through manifestation of
that idea.
Truth, knowledge and values are simply the conception of the mind, therefore the
mind is the controller and explainer of the phenomenon that we are seeing.
Things such as buildings and trees exist but have no existence apart from a mind that
conceives them.
Idealism always searches for the truth, it is also commonly known as spiritualism.
It seeks to offer an explanation of the man and the universe in-terms of the
spirit/mind.
PROPONENTS OF REALISM.
Plato believed that there are two worlds; the first is the spiritual or mental world
There is also the world of appearance, the world experienced through touch, sight,
smell, taste and sound that is changing, imperfect and disorderly (body).
This division is often referred to as the duality of the body and mind.
The first one he referred to as the reality of the idea in the mind-true reality.
The 2nd is the reality of the object-illusional, imperfect representation of what the
object is.
1. Rulers (on top)-these are the philosopher Kings, he termed them the man of gold.
2. The Guards-he termed them the man of silver.
3. The mass (hoipoloi)-he termed them the man of bronze and iron.
He was concerned with the concept of evil since man inherited the sin of Adam.
He was continuously involved in a struggle to regain the kind of purity he had before
the fall.
He referred to the two worlds as the world of God and the world of man.
The world of God is the world of the spirit whilst the world of man is the material
Like Plato he felt that people do not create knowledge but can only discover it.
METAPHYSICS OF IDEALISM.
All things exist in the mind because they can-not be known to exist before the mind
notices them.
EPISTEMOLOGY OF IDEALISM.
Socrates is virtue.
through questions (Socratic Method) that can bring to consciousness talents and
According to Kant, E the essence of knowing is the imposition of meaning and order
Knowledge acquired through the senses is uncertain and incomplete since the material
AXIOLOGY OF IDEALISM.
According to idealists values are permanent and eternal, they are passed from
generation to generation.
The actual absolute values of truth, goodness and beauty have to be discovered.
AIMS OF EDUCATION.
Education is supposed to be a process of turning the eye of the soil from darkness into
light.
The role of education is to activate the mind, so that through its own reasoning it can
discover knowledge.
Education has to enable the child to realise the soul, recognize his real form and
Education should aim at developing the child into a complete being with full physical,
Education should not only stretch the development of the mind but should also
encourage students to focus on all things that are of more lasting value.
Practical subjects are inferior to academic ones as they not involve the mind.
WEAKNESSES OF IDEALISM.
Its notion of a finished and absolute universe waiting to be discovered has hindered
It is impracticable.
QUESTION.
LECTURER: MR D MOYO
TOPIC: REALISM.
It has to be based on a set of beliefs about the nature of man and his place in the
universe (metaphysics).
It must have a system of values for both the individual and the society (axiology).
All the three elements are present in any educational system and they are conceived
TENENTS OF REALISM/CHARACTERISTICS.
Realism refers to the theory (doctrine) that whatever knowledge we receive through
The world of reality consists of real tangible matter having an independent existence
of its own which can be discovered by direct scientific inquiry (Barker, 1989:9).
REALIST VIEWS ON METAPHYSICS.
The world exists by itself and as a reality independent of whether there are
Aristotle the father of realism believed that in order to understand an object, one
must understand its ultimate form that doesn’t change e.g. a rose exists whether or
It is not chaotic, there is order in its organisation e.g. the night follows the day.
The basic facts discovered by the sciences about the world are true and real
Realists believe that since the world exist as it is, it is possible to have an
that of the mind responding to impressions that are made upon it from external
sources.
It is an act of grasping and understanding what is presented to the mind from
the outside.
They exist in objects for us to discover e.g. honey is sweet, sweetness is therefore a
So there are objective values in culture, objective norms and standards of conduct
Such objective cultural values and standards of conduct must form the core-
PROPONENTS OF REALISM.
ARISTOTLE (384-322BC).
Reason is the ability to know the unchanging form of objects through sense
experience and then to deduce from these forms the characteristics of the objects
At birth the mind is tabula rasa (a blank slate) upon which ideas will be printed later.
All knowledge is acquired from sources independent of the individuals mind and
Experience to him was a bundle of sensations living an imprint on the blank slate of
the mind.
The arrangement of the world into patterns implies that knowledge is classified
children.
Therefore no one single subject/discipline can be adequate to express the whole truth
to be found in a culture.
The purpose of education is not only about the acquisition of culture but the
development of intellectual skills and habits to discover the orderliness that exists in
the world.
Because the world is orderly, teaching must be arranged orderly, equipping the
John Locke’s concept of tabula rasa implies that any child can learn anything and
There are certain truths to be transmitted, truths that are contained in different
disciplines.
The teacher has knowledge of some of these truths and is therefore the well of
The duty of the learner is to absorb the truths presented to him/her by the teacher.
He/she should learn the habit of self-discipline so as to be able to master the subject.
The teacher should therefore be loyal to his discipline and present the truths of his
Schools are not only places of learning but also of meaningful activities and
LECTURER: MR D MOYO
It holds the view that for anything to be called knowledge it should produce physical
Pragmatism encourages processes that allow individuals to do those things that lead to
desirable ends/outcomes.
It is a 20th century philosophy that examines traditional ways of thinking and doing
Pragmatists agree with the realists that the physical world exists in its own right not as
They believe that reality is not permanent; everything is in a constant state of flux
(change).
Man to them is an experiencing organism that can-not exist without his environment.
Man depends on other organisms for survival as he is the highest form of organism in
the environment.
The mind discovers values in the same way it discovers knowledge i.e. through
experience.
There is no absolute and unchanging truth but rather truth is what works for us.
problems.
Hypothesis that solve problems are then regarded as true but resolutions to problems
This therefore means that there is no absolute truth i.e. truth is relative.
Pragmatism is a 20th century philosophy founded in the works of Francis Bacon, John
Bacon’s influence is primarily in his method of induction which serves as the basis of
Late pragmatist extended Bacon’s scientific approach beyond solving simple material
knowledge.
He emphasized the idea of placing children in the most desirable environment for
their education.
He profounded an idea that children are born tabula rasa and that society proceeds to
ROUSSEAU.
His major contribution was that knowledge is based on the sense experience of the
natural world.
He argued that individuals are basically good but are corrupted by civilisation
He also argued that children should not be seen as miniature adults but as human
His works led to the questions about what was natural for children that opened
CHARLES DARWIN.
He argued that species evolved naturally through a universal struggle for existence.
Through the interaction of the organism and the environment based on available food
Darwin’s view helped foster the concept that humans are in the process of
This led to the pragmatist belief that reality is an open ended process
differences.
Teachers are there to build on existing knowledge not to pour on empty vessels.
The teacher has to identify the needs of the learner and to serve as a resource person.
The school should not be divorced from the home environment; it should be an
Teaching should be for the present since the future is uncertain and unpredictable.
DATE: 25-02-2014.
LECTURER: MR D MOYO
TOPIC: EXISTENTIALISM.
SOURCES.
Biswal, U.N (2005) Philosophy of Education, Dominant Publishers and Distributors, New
Delhi.
Knight, G (2008) Existentialism from Dostoevsky, Satre, New York, McGraw Hill.
www.ebooks.com.
DEFINITION OF TERMS.
Knight (2001:3) says existentialism is not a philosophy but a label for several widely
their concrete existence and humans as thinking, feeling and acting individuals.
It is concerned with the concrete experiences of the individual with the quality of life
of a man’s life and also with the man trying to find his own place and meaning of his
own life and his society in the world and the universe at large.
What is existing and real is what we feel, what we see and what we touch.
alive, that he has feelings and emotions of love, hatred, appreciation or prejudice and
A man has a unique personality which is not duplicated to any other man.
1981:155).
He also says that man is capable of controlling his life and destiny.
There are economic, cultural, social and political factors that affect/prevent us from
He says there are always avenues for getting over such obstacles depending on one’s
choice e.g. one can confront the challenges of life and take appropriate steps to
overcome them, one can run away from them and refuse to stay in that society/one
can accept the oppressive nature and live in such conditions that prevent people from
After the man has made choices he must take full responsibility of the consequences
that might follow his choice, he can-not blame them on other elements be they
society/God.
described e.g. a scientist who studies poverty is an outsider who can only describe it
Emotion is just as equal as reasoning in a man’s life e.g. one might know what is right
and just but may not be strong enough to do it and if a person is emotionally involved
e.g. by the school subjects, through teachers who have acquired knowledge, who can
AXIOLOGY OF EXISTENTIALISM.
Values are subjective in the sense that it is a person interested in a thing who values it.
What a man chooses is what is valuable and by his choice he considers what he has
Choice is made after taking into consideration all the possible factors e.g.
consequences and that when one makes choices they do so according to their
Education should not adjust the learner but should make the learner aware of his
The task of education is only to evaluate the learner’s ability to decide correctly.
To develop initiative to search for and discover himself and to cultivate self-reliance
as a key teacher.
It is not the content of the curriculum or what is taught that is important but rather the
way/how it is taught.
the activity.
It emphasizes the use of role play and drama in teaching because they involve pupils
Existentialism argues that the best teacher is the home and the parent of the child
because it is in the home that the child is fully accepted whatever his mental
efficiencies/physical problems.
The teacher must accept each child as a unique individual who has some ability, who
The role of the teacher should be to evaluate the child to realise some of these
uniqueness.
The role of the teacher is not cognitive transference but that of providing
opportunities and success to evaluate and assess the pupil with the aim of helping
Act as a guide and counsellor who should mould pupils into independent, self-reliant
individuals.
DATE: 31-03-2014.
TOPIC: PERENILIASM.
WHAT IS PERENIALSM?
It is conservative in nature.
Perenialists believe that truth is universal and does not depend on circumstances of
Robert Hutchins and Mortimer Adler are known to be the leading perenialists who
They concurred with Aristotle that since human beings are rational, the schools
Perenialists therefore oppose political, social and economic theories that seek to use
are necessary for people to function in society, they believe that agencies other than
To put extra non-academic demands on teachers and schools takes away energy, time
For perenialists the most important educational goals are the searching of and
Since they believe that truth is universal and unchanging, a genuine education is also
The school curriculum should contain cognitive subjects that cultivate rationality and
the study of moral aesthetic and religious principles to cultivate ethical behaviour.
Like idealists and realists, perenialists prefer a subject matter curriculum which
includes history, language, geography, maths, logic, literature, social studies, natural
The content of these subjects develops intellectual skills of reading, writing, spelling,
Perenialists argue that students should not be grouped/streamed into “tracks” that
prevent some from acquiring the general education to which they are entitled to by
All students have the right to the same high quality education.
Like the realist and idealists, perenialists see the classroom as an environment for
Teachers must be liberally educated, love the truth and desire to lead a life based on it
Perenialists secondary school teacher would structure lessons along the enduring
academic work.
ESSENTIALISM.
Like Perenialism, essentialism is an educational theory/philosophy that is rooted in
2. To emphasize the skills and subjects that can lead learners to higher order thinking
knowledge and values of the past and the requirements of the present.
For essentialists, education involves learning the basic skills, arts and sciences that
sustain civilisation.
Since learning of essential curriculum requires discipline and hard work, teachers
William Bagley the founding philosopher of essentialism argued that students should
Primary schools should emphasize on reading, writing and computation since these
are the basic essential skills that contribute to literacy, social and intellectual
efficiency.
Schooling requires discipline and respect for authority whereas learning requires hard
Teachers should stress order, discipline and hard work among learners.
IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CLASSROOM TEACHER.
standard practices.
In the essentialists classroom students devote their time and energy into learning
Effective schools should have principals/heads and teachers who hold high
Essentialists emphasize on first mastering the facts and generalising these facts.
QUESTION.
IMPLICATIONS
to his facilitator.
interests
and needs
cultural heritage.
DATE: 03-03-2014
LECTURER: MR D MOYO
REFERENCES
Akinpelu, J. A (1981)
Chitumba, W (2006)
Morish, l (1967)
Urmson, J. O (1975)
PROPONENTS OF NATURALISM
J.J Rousseau
J.H Pestalozzi
F. Froebel
Montessori
INTRODUCTION
original sin.
It takes an extreme position in arguing that inherent in human nature are dynamic
quality features- forces which make man naturally inclined to develop towards
goodness.
DEFINITION.
NATURALISM
METAPHYSICS OF NATURALISM
Naturalists believe that the totality of things which we call nature and which are
Thus there exist in the child some hidden powers which unfold when he grows up to
become an adult.
The child has his own inner principle of growth by which he necessarily and naturally
Naturalists believe in the natural (innate) goodness and innocence of the child.
Inequalities and bad behaviours are a result of the child’s intercourse with the
corrupted society.
If we allow the child to unfold in a natural way, he will develop into a good man and
The natural tendency of human nature is to develop towards freedom and happiness.
EPISTEMOLOGY OF NATURALISM
evolution.
Knowledge is unfolding from within the child of the potentialities and capacities
which follows it’s laid down patterns through engaging in meaningful activities.
Education is then the process of aiding and quickening this developmental process of
the child.
AXIOLOGY OF NATURALISM
It should take into account the present interests, values and experiences of the
learners.
They argue that nature will have them children before they are born.
Children have ways of thinking, seeing and feeling which are peculiar to themselves
If there is punishment needed, nature will take its course and punish the child.
Their argument is that if the child is permitted to suffer consequences of his free
activities, he will learn from experience what makes his own happiness and his mates.
Education should be through experience.
Children should learn nothing from books which they can learn from experience.
Create activities that will make the child work with others, have a sense of belonging
Methods of teaching should take into account the child’s readiness to learn something
new.
Rousseau argues that when you craft a curriculum do it with the learners.
The education system should be divided into different levels according to the pupils’
ages.
In teaching, move away from the child’s present experience and gradually lead him to new
experiences
Children learn through trial and error, culminating in trial and success
According to Rousseau since boys by nature are different from girls, they require a different
kind of education
Naturalist argue that the teacher should be a provider and organizer of learning resources.
The teacher is a passive observer in the background and only interferes at the request of the
child.
CONCLUSION
These include dividing the system into kindergarten, infant, junior and senior in primary
Teaching methods have also been influenced by naturalism especially the emphasis on
However there are certain aspects of the philosophy which stand out as unworkable and
overzealous.
TASK
Discuss the applicability of naturalism to the Zimbabwean secondary school setting, which
DATE: 16-03-2014.
LECTURER: MR D MOYO
The main thrust is on what the school should teach i.e. the curriculum.
The theories are the school based components of the philosophical approaches.
EDUCATIONAL THEORIES/THEORY.
PROGRESSIVISM.
Dewey.
1. Authoritarian teachers.
2. Book-based instruction.
They advocate for an education that focuses on the whole child rather than on the
content/teacher thus they teach the head, heart and the hand.
Emphasis is also on the process of learning (as opposed to product)-how one comes to
know.
The learner is a problem solver and thinker who makes meaning through his
Children’s readiness and interest rather than pre-determined subjects should shape the
in which students work collaboratively to expand and revise their knowledge base.
Teachers must make use of participatory methods such as group work, role-play,
Teachers must create an atmosphere that allows free expression and interaction.
The teacher must match the level of difficulty of content with the level of the
children.
Teachers must teach from the immediate experience of the child and gradually lead
STRENGHTS OF PROGRESSIVISM.
Learners learn to appreciate others opinion as they learn from each other.
technological advancements.
WEAKNESSES.
DATE: 20-05-2014
LECTURER: Mr D MOYO
The concept of liberalism originated in the Greek society during the time of Aristotle.
The word liberalism is derived from a Latin word “Liber” which means independent and
According to the Greek there were two types of man a slave and a free man.
The free man was someone with a legal status, a man who was not over burdened with
material cares
He was a man capable of thinking beyond the now,
A man who would spend most of his time thinking about abstract issues i.e. justice,
selfish
during the 19 century the concept of a freeman changed and followed the English
tradition
this was a man of leisure, a man who would not do manual jobs, had dignity, commanded
respect, a man of peace with polished speech, a man of high intellectual capability, a man
He is expected to interrogate any standing beliefs and give new meaning to all
phenomena.
i. prepare students for life – the learner should understand the life he or she lives
Objectives
Provide the student with certain kinds of knowledge which every man is the better for
possessing.
Help form the mind and personality so that it is possible to be free of gross material cares
and to experience more of what life really has to offer (Elvin, 1977:47).
Man is a rational being, this capacity should be developed in every human being –
Human personality should develop freely guided by reason rather than limited by
Education aims ultimately to enable an individual to make free choices rather than to
Blydel (in Akinpelu, 1981) asserts that liberal education’s main feature is integration.
The curriculum is therefore a coverage of wide range of types of knowledge as Blydel (in
Akinpelu 1981:98) reveals “it is our desire and purpose to teach not so much knowledge
The liberal curriculum recommends the teaching of as many subjects as possible all of
The first orientation of a liberal education is towards man as man, not towards man as a
money maker.
Implications to a teacher
Teach all subjects under the sun that constitute knowledge without much of detail
Summary
Quest for knowledge must not be subordinated political or any other expediency
The highest purpose of education is to produce a good man not good tradesman or
citizens
Critics
“Making all education truly liberal never succeeded even with the privileged groups of
Question 2
How far can he stretch the idea that a man can be educated for sake of knowledge not for
financial aid?
DATE: 19-05-2014
LECTURER: MR DMOYO
According to Socrates and Plato perfect education should focus on good reasoning, and
perfect thought.
Listening
Interpreting
Translation
Problem solving
experience
Schools of thought
Idealism (thought behind existence) if children are not taught ideas then they are not
educated
an individual as he is
1. Teaching
2. learning
Educational forms
education.
- Formal learning
Summary
DATE: 24-06-2014.
LECTURER: MR D MOYO.
EQUALITY
DEFINITION
It means the same in status, rights and responsibilities for all members of a given
Plato considered the ends of the justice to be best served recognising and exploiting
Aristotle remarked that injustice arises as much as from treating the unequal’s equal
Nietzsche took a contrary view stating that the promotion of equality led to
Every single person as an individual; natural differences such as height, colour, sex and
There are also social differences, rank, religion, citizenship and power.
EQUALITY OF TREATMENT.
There is prescriptive/moral sense of equality e.g. all human beings are equal because we
belong to the same human race and have the same needs.
Human beings have the equal rights e.g. education, rights to housing, water, food, to vote,
John Locke thought that all human beings are all equal in certain natural rights e.g. water to
drink.
The universal declaration of human rights by the U.N says all human beings should be
EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITIES
The idea that everyone has an equal chance to achieve wealth, social prestige and power is
not true because the rules of life maybe the same but may not apply to everyone.
INEQAUALTIES IN EDUCATION
Private schools.
Former A schools
Teacher qualifications
LECTURER: MR D MOYO
DEFINITION OF AUTHORITY
ACADEMIC DEFINITION
authority on a subject
Authority is the capacity, innate or acquired for exercising ascendancy over a group
institutionalized
Possession of power and the right to influence others (Agamben, 2005; Barker 1994;
Bloom 2010).
and established laws which are usually written down and often are complex e.g. a
school
TRADITIONAL AUTHORITY
Which derives from long established customs, habits and social structures e.g. in
CHARISMATIC AUTHORITY
It is believed to be from the gift of grace, or when the leader claims that his authority
In authority sometimes superiors feel that they have the right to issue commands that
There is also an aspect of leadership in authority that leadership comes through persuasion or
influence.
There are three reasons why education is intimately connected with control
2. There are definite rules and precepts intrinsic to both learning and forms of
discipline/knowledge
3. The school represents the society in microcosm reflects its rules governed by nature
Effective control in education centres round authority, discipline and punishment.
There is no doubt that the teacher is in a position of authority because the teacher has
been placed there by whoever has the power to make such appointments
In order to teach the teacher should possess a good deal of knowledge or expertise in
People who do freedom and education are (Hannah, 1993; Young,1993; Sandel,
DEFINITION OF FREEDOM
Aristotle has a solution and it’s called the Aristotle golden rule, he says freedom is to
For Plato and Socrates freedomis to do with one’s duty to use reason rather than
People in general choose what is correct they only choose what is not correct because
of ignorance.
EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF FREEDOM
Teachers also have the choice of selecting teaching approaches, methods and
classroom activities
Freedom for parents to choose which school to send their children and to choose
teachers
DATE: 01-07-2014
LECTURER: MR D MOYO
DEFINITION
DISCIPLINE
The term is derived from the Latin word ‘disco’ which means learn.
It is derived from the word ‘disciple’ meaning follower, not just a follower in the sense of
following a leader or blindly but following because one has chosen to follow and sees
morals or beliefs.
The word discipline refers to the conscious and willing acceptance of and submission to, a
code of framework of rules and regulations designed to order, manage, conduct and control a
Discipline is a self-driven state of mind which begins by being externally imposed and ends
1. Discipline of knowledge within a particular subject area, rules of grammar e.g. English
3. The discipline of thinking e.g. the rules of logic and academic thinking.
In education there is need to establish authority in order to develop in pupils self-control and
discipline
Discipline is part and parcel of education including moral development and it is necessary in
PRINCIPLES OF DISCIPLINE
Discipline gives students a feeling of security by showing them that they may not or do
something
Discipline helps develop in children a conscious which will guide decision making and
behavioural control
Discipline involves trying to get students to see the point of order and following whatever is
being ordered.
TYPES OF DISCIPLINE
POSITIVE (SELF-IMPOSED)
NEGATIVE (EXTERNAL-IMPOSED)
This results in adoption of instrumental attitudes because of a reward attached or its bribery
in nature.
PUNISHMENT
It can be seen as a method adopted by human beings in normative groups to uphold the law
and order of their system or society and to restore it when it breaks down.
TYPES OF PUNISHMENT
1. PUNITIVE/RETRIBUTIVE
It is the eye for an eye approach or the Old Testament approach
2. REFORMATIVE/ UTILITARIAN
They consider punishment as always bad and must not be allowed despite the outcomes.
THEORIES OF PUNISHMENT.
It is morally just that an offender should be made to suffer punishment for their sins.
2. THEORY OF PREVENTION
Punishment in this case is believed will prevent others and the offender himself from
3. THEORY OF PROTECTION
4. THEORY OF RESTITUTION
There are arguments against punishment in schools which are based on human rights
there to produce an intellect not a tout and also because society is made of rules and
regulations.
2. Society has rules and regulations and these ought to be imposed and the school also
4. Control is essential in learning and teaching and punishment is a sure and effective
DATE: 08-07-2014
SOURCES
TASK
What philosophical arguments have been advanced for and against streaming and mixed
ability grouping?
In your own view which of the two practices helps learners better?
INTRODUCTION
In a bid to maximize the learning of a variety of tasks by teachers and administrators the
placing of pupils in the various groups has become a feature of all classrooms yet how these
groups are made up has been an unending philosophical and psychological debate.
When it comes to bigger groups such as classes two pertinent questions beg answers:
such that classes in any year group will represent high ability, middle ability and low ability
pupils.
Nelson (1964) categorizes these children into Plato’s three broad classes of society
Streaming is based on a liberal philosophy which argues that a fair kind of education is that
Good education should allow children to reach their best, to become the best of themselves.
Those whose ceilings are generally similar should be put together to form a homogenous
Pupils within a group are able to help one another ad group discussions help pupils in their
Streaming allows the dedicated teacher to identify the problems of, and develop new
Streaming maintains high academic standards, due to the scarcity of talent or rarity of
excellence in pupils there is need to locate it early and separate children of gold from the
Homogenous grouping may become a source of labelling pupils and the concept of self-
Slow learners may give up trying all together as they get demoralized and demotivated.
Instruments of streaming are not always accurate and as a result some pupils become victims
of these instruments.
The academic grading is also a social grading as it reflects the social background, privilege,
Usually top streams get favourable conditions such as good teachers and plenty of resources
while the bottom streams get a raw deal such as hopeless teachers.
Homogenous high quality groups do not usually display high level elaborate interaction when
DEFINITION
Classes in any year group are composed of the full ability range of pupils where in each class
Each pupil has something to offer in the learning environment, no pupil is hopeless in
everything as long as he/she has the acceptable level of normalcy irrespective of how slow
needs.
Un-streaming is social desirable as it is unfair to have all kids with dirty shirts in one class.
Tolerance and mutual respect are at the centre of mixed ability grouping
This approach improves children’s self-concept as they see themselves as worthy and educes
DATE: 15-07-2014
LECTURER: MR D MOYO
EDUCATION
Pre-colonial education was the kind of education found in Africa before the coming of the
whites/colonialists/imperialists.
The pre-colonial education was both formal and informal.
African education being informal meant that certain aspects of education like moral education
was not time tabled, was not restricted to a single facilitator. It was everyone’s responsibility
in society e.g. the child was everyone’s child not only the biological parent’s responsibility.
Pre-colonial African education being formal meant that there were certain people/experts
others.
There were also certain responsibilities that were time-tabled and had teachers who were
-Pre-colonial education was lifelong education i.e. from cradle to the grave
Education was also interdependent i.e. all aspects of life were treated as equally important
e.g. moral education was treated equally as vocational training. Both soft and hard skills were
Teaching was done by telling stories or riddles, poetry, proverbs and singing.
Teaching was done through observation e.g. observing how to herd cattle under the
supervision of someone older e.g. older brother. Teaching was done through experience and
practice.
Learning was done through training which was used for special skills e.g. military training.
responsibility. All things were to be done for the well-being of the society. Education
was meant to produce a person who is going to share and use his knowledge for the
3. Holisticism- education was meant to make an individual an expert of all (Jack of all
trades) if not but have an appreciation of all things. You were expected to be life
experiences.
4. Essentialism- pre-colonial educationist believed that there are certain basics in life
that every individual should grasp or appreciate e.g. the use of language, surviving
skills like hunting and gathering, home economics i.e. hygiene, pottery, basketry and
textiles.
5. Humanism- education in pre-colonial Africa’s major focus was to produce a human
being not an animal. A person who has got feelings, does not think for themselves but
DATE: 22-07-2014
LECTURER: MR D MOYO
Missionary aims
They wanted to teach the blacks to read this was mainly through reading the bible
The kind of education that the black person needed was to read and get instructions through
These good intentions became fertile grounds for exploitation of the blacks
Historical backgrounds
From 1890-1923 southern Rhodesia was ruled by the British South Africa company
It encouraged the missionaries to educate the Africans by giving them large tracks of
Some missionaries who were given tracks of land were the London Missionary
The main objective of the missionary education was the proclamation of the gospel to
When the colonial government showed interest in the education for the black the
general goals changed and the most change was the shift emphases from a purely
The new direction in education was aiming at ensuring that the interest of the colonial
There were attempt by both the missionaries and the colonial government to educate
the indigenous religion superstition and witchcraft in African societies and give way
to acceptance to Christianity
was not defined how to run each denominate was doing its own interest)
The narrowness curriculum remained unchanged even after the governance involved
in the education
Religious education retained its dominance while system grew increasingly bookish
and examination
AFRICANS
In colonial Southern Rhodesia rulers formed a minority and depended for their
privileged status for the maintenance of dominating political and economic and social
Educational system and institution that involves were designed to sustain white
domination
Considerable resources were channelled towards the educational demands and it was
It was thought that the moral influence will be effective in subduing the African
A person who successful passed through colonial education was no different from the
acculturated, subservient, loyal, uncritical and above all alienated (Peresuh and
Nunduh, 1999)
Lack of material resources ensured that African education was of the poor quality
Atkinson says expressed in political terms the whites settlers’ prejudices against the
African rests upon the assumption that Europeans alone can provide a good
government
The natives were taught that the right to equality was not for them
Education for the black was mainly to prepare them for the manual labour because of
this attitude very little was done to improve the education for the blacks
The government grants to the missionaries were very small for example in 1901
African were given 0.02% for the national budget in 1912 they were given 0.48%
1920.7.8% , 1907 mission school were divided into three class with each class
These were boarding schools under European supervision they received the highest
grant.
There was time for religious instruction, lessons in English and time for cleanliness.
THE CLASS TWO SCHOOLS
More industrial and educational training was required these schools taught English
cleanliness and religion and they received the second high grants
They were manned by poorly trained teachers whose training was below standard
two.
The curriculum indicated that they were teaching English , cleanliness discipline
The paradox was that there was an increased demand for these schools, the hope by
the African was that this type of education will help them to understand the way of the
European and that they would be able to cope with the demand with the demands of
everyday life.
DATE: 29-07-2014
LECTURER: MR D MOYO
All the issues pertaining to Africans where dealt with under the department of Native Affairs.
Up to 1917 the entire budget of the Africans was bunched into one purse.
Native education was put under this new department. The first director of Native
In 1921 Keigwin concluded that there was need for a new strategy on African education
which would seek to encourage the development of a small number of highly efficient
mission centres.
Institutions in existence then included Hope Fountain, Mount Selinda and Saint Augustine.
The idea was to give assistance to these institutions and develop a curriculum especially
These institutions were supposed to experiment with teaching methods suited to the lifestyle
of the Africans and serve as central agencies for the training of teachers for the African
children.
He was convinced that a higher standard of living was possible for the Africans and that to
achieve it there was need for the government to intervene in the work of the missionaries in
According to him the missionaries gave the Africans too academic an education in the name
The kind of education offered by the missionaries gave the Africans too much hope and
According to Keigwin as recorded by Zvobgo (1986:17) these are the words “if we do not
intended to admit blacks, be it now or by degrees, to encroach on social equality, let us not
put false ideas into their heads nor encourage them to foster hopes of equality.”
He put in place a policy on African education which he said should take the African people
out of what he described as “cold intellectual atmosphere of the classroom” into what he
called “an outdoor training in industrial trades such as building, carpentry and farming.”
KEIGWIN’S JUSTIFICATION
This type of education was more relevant to the lives of the Africans. He ensured that
government established 2 industrial institutions, the 1st one was inDomboshavain 1921and the
Education was used as a tool to perpetuate white dominance over the blacks in spheres of the
Since then government ensured that financial assistance to the education of the blacks so
The weakest and most numerous of the African school structures were the class 3
JEANES SCHOOLS
A wealthy philanthropist by the name Anna T Jeans established a fund that was used to train
Man were trained in Domboshava while women were trained in Hope Fountain.
Emphasis of the curriculum in the Jeans schools was placed on what the colonial government
The essentials of education were health, use of the environment, recreation and religion,
The rest of the day was spent on manual work in building, carpentry and gardening.
This manual work was punctuated by spells of football and other sports.
In building the learners were only allowed to construct pole and daggar huts, there was never
the building of cornered houses as they were considered alien to the Africans.
Both building and carpentry were taught from an essential functionally aspect e.g. in sawing
pupils were asked to select their own tree, cut it down and saw it into planks and use those
The activities for European pupils were not bound by rules of a particular church.
This was because families of the white children resisted the influence of the churches in their
children. In terms of the curriculum one advantage of the white children was that they did not
have to learn a new language whereas the African child had to first acquire English as a
language.
The European child was given an academic curriculum where his mind was trained, activated
The curriculum of the whites also included commercial and technical subjects, all this was
meant to give European children an advantage when it comes to the world of economics.
They were prepared for white collar jobs and their education was funded by the government.
CONCLUSIONS.
The efforts by both Keigwin and Jeans could have been borne out of a genuine concern for
the betterment of the lifestyle of the Africans as Keigwin believed that production was central
to the African lifestyle rather than theory and literacy while Jeans realised the importance of
The subsequent implementers of these ideas however may not have had the same spirit that
the originators of the idea had and therefore emphasized more the racial, unsuitedness of
TASK.
LECTURER: MR D MOYO
TASK
The federation era was the most progressive in terms of the education of the African during
REFERENCES.
GENERAL OVERVIEW
After the WW2 there was a growing concern among some British statesman regarding the
This they believed would bring people together into one nation irrespective of colour or race
The Federation of Rhodesia (Northern and Southern) and Nyasaland was established in 1953
The Federation era shows how the economic policy influenced change and development of a
It was characterised by a more liberal approach towards African education than previous eras
however representatives of the two Northern territories were suspicious of attempts to bolster
This sense of deep dissatisfaction led to the dissolution of the Federation in December 1963.
SOUTHERN RHODESIA.
He sought cooperation between the church and the state in terms of planning, organising,
State scholarships would be availed for poor students at secondary school level.
Technical and commercial education would be incorporated into the secondary school
curriculum.
Under Todd, there was creation of the local Rhodesian examination body breaking affiliation
The Minister of Education had the discretion to register or deregister any school and the
The Act provided for the separation of the Native Education from the division of Native
Affairs.
The Director of Native Education became at the same time the Director of Native
Development.
It was still conservative, there was no departure from the traditional setup.
European education had the benefit of more funding from the richer Federal budget while
African education was left dependent on the territorial government thin budget which funded
The plan was announced when changes introduced by Todd were already being implemented.
The government was to cooperate closely with missionary authorities in extensive building
programs. The intention was to build more primary schools and offer a full educational
More funds will be channelled to teacher education in order to increase facilities in teacher
training institutions.
Additional secondary schools were built since there was only one secondary school which
was Goromonzi.
The second one was Fletcher High which was built during Todd’s reign.
The expansion that was experienced led to overwhelming enrolments with many children
The new Prime Minister Edgar Whitehead did not change but consolidated the policy by
Todd.
The Act authorised the Minister of Native Education to enable a Native advisory board which
The Act levelled working conditions and salary scales of all teachers irrespective of racial
groups.
In 1962 a commission chaired by Professor AV. Judges of London University was set up to
2. Africans to be provided with a 7year primary course and a three year junior secondary
education leading to a junior certificate (with a strong vocational bias according to the
3. Local authorities were supposed to how greater responsibility for providing primary
education.
4. The territorial government was supposed to show greater responsibility for providing
secondary education.
5. In future education for all children should be met under the same administrative
director.
6. The discrepancy in salaries between men and women was to be scrapped so that lady
Graduates of junior secondary schools would be enrolled for training courses enabling them
to teach at primary.
CONCLUSION.
There were some whites who were not happy with the way Todd and Whitehead were
treating the Africans. As such these whites formed a party called the Rhodesia Front which
took power by force from Whitehead. The leader of the party was Ian Douglas Smith and he
was not happy with the reforms that were in place. The rose of Smith culminated in the split
of the Federation.
PHILOSOPHY
MR D MOYO
23-09-2014
Reducing the gap between education of the Whites and that of the blocks (1953-1963)
INTRODUCTION
State scholarships would be availed for poor student for poor students at secondary
school level
schools curriculum
The minister had the discretion to register and de-register any private school
The Act provided for the separation of the Department of Native education from the
POSITVE ASPECT(S)
European education had a benefit of more funds from the richer Federal budget while
African education was left to depend on territorial government’s thin budget which
To build more primary schools and offer a full primary education course to all pupils
teacher training
This expansion led to overwhelming enrolments – many could not get places
The new Prime Minister, Edgar Whitehead did not change but consolidated the policy
The act authorised the Minister of Native Education to establish a Native Education
In 1960, a commission chaired by Prof. A.V. Judges of London University was set up
SOME RECOMMENDATIONS
Full primary schooling for all, irrespective of racial group
education, leading to Junior Certificate level (with strong vocation bias according to
In future, education for all children should be brought under the same administrative
director
Plans were put a foot to open 1 institution in Salisbury and admit African students in
the Bulawayo’s Teachers’ College – these would then teach at higher primary and
Graduates of Junior secondary school could not enrol for training courses enabling
Ministry allowed the establishment of a training centre for candidates who had passed
A new teacher training college for African teacher was built at Gweru, with U.S
CRITIQUE
The Africans felt that the reforms were cosmetics, that they did not address the real
Political parties led by Blacks threatened a general strike that would paralyse the
Blacks teachers lives were threatened as they were accused of being sell-outs by their
African counterparts if they did not join either party, they did, they were dismissed
27 JANUARY 2016
MR D MOYO
FEBRUARY 3, 2016
PHILOSOPHY
MR L MOYO
Challenges are sub-divided into two, that is, school based and National Challenges
School based challenges are those that affect school or schools in a specific given area
But the national challenges are those that affect all the schools in the country
3. Hot-seating
4. In-adequate apparatus
5. Streaming
In the first decade after independence, the education system in Zimbabwe reached its
peak and was heraldedas the best in Africa which was not so, based on fallacy
In the last decade (2006-2016), education has been pushed to its decline by power and
politics
disappearing
8. School drop-outs
compulsory
Unfortunately, the post-independence curriculum did not, and still does not, cater for
the different level of intelligence, for different talents, or for the different ways people