The importance of basic education which comprises of ability to read and write cannot be underestimated. All around the world, literacy has been given prominence—and I cannot even think about my life without being able to read and write.
At the basic level, there is no argument against the fact that, some sort of education is the real key to success—even if we buy into the argument that success is relative.
However, University education (High education) is where the contention lies. Is Higher Education or University Education the key to success in Ghana, Africa and the World as a whole?
Interestingly, despite the parents push and several individuals desire to obtain higher education across the Globe, certain excessively rich and famous people, ranging from Bill Gates to Mark Zuckerberg had no use for University Education—and eventually dropped off. Yet, they went on to become the World’s greatest in their chosen field.
Some may argue that luck was on the side of these people and that beyond basic education, the real key to success in life is LUCK and nothing more.
Dear GC Readers and fellow debaters who may take me up on my stand in making the obvious clearer, that indeed, the coming of the white man to Africa brought more good than harm…
In my entire life, I’ve heard about people throw stones at the coming of the white man to Africa, saying, Africa would have been better today if they did not come to steal from us, if they did not to enslave our people and if they did not come to divide our people among others. What most of these people who forget is the fact that, there is always going to be two sides to every situation at any point in time and it is when the two sides are carefully weighed that you can actually establish where to position yourself.
Of course, the coming of the white man to Africa did a lot of harm but this debate is not about whether some harm was caused, rather, if the harm caused was more than the good—or the vice versa.
I will start by saying, one of the greatest things the white man brought to Africa that has become the underlying architecture of everything we do, ranging from our source of morality to our understanding of life is CHRISTIANIY & ISLAM. It was estimated in 2002 that Christians formed 40% of the continent’s population, with Muslims forming 45%—and it is believed that these percentages have increased astronomically, today.
Even if we decide to go by the above percentages, the traditional African religion will just have about 10-12%, making room for those who have no belief. If indeed the white man brought these religions to Africa which we have in might accept in such high percentages, was their coming to Africa not a great force for good, considering what Christianity and Islam has brought us?
Secondly, the coming of the white man to Africa introduced western or formal education to many parts of Africa. I would have loved to say, the white man brought formal/western education but that would probably be too far-fetched. Even if we cannot agree on the fact that the white man actually brought formal education/western education to Africa, I believe we will all agree on the fact that, the early missionaries were instrumental in taking formal/western education to all the corners as they propagated the Gospel and the teachings of Mohammed.
I am not sure which news channel you are hooked on but whichever you tune in, from Russian TV (RTV) to CNN, the world seems to be engulfed in a war against itself. I will not blame you if you are like one of my friends who have decided not to watch, read or listen … Read more
