On the need to create African schools outside Africa

In sub-Saharan Africa, there is a multitude of foreign schools in which the children of diplomats, international civil servants, and even the children of some wealthy locals are mostly found. But the picture is not the same when one looks to the West, Asia or the Americas. There, it is difficult to identify African schools [1] created to accommodate the children of civil servants or other African persons residing in these regions; yet, the need is glaring because no nation in the world has developed with the culture of the other.

Aware of this, Africa would benefit from capitalizing on its diaspora not only through remittances as is currently the case but also, by strategically preparing its nationals for the development of their continent. One way would be the establishment of African schools outside Africa. After presenting a brief state of affairs, we will demonstrate why it is urgent to create African schools outside of Africa.

Why so many foreign schools in Africa?

In the aftermath of independence in Africa, countries such as France or the United States maintained or created new schools in Africa to educate the children of their nationals (still called "expats").

According to the axiom academic website, of the 495 French high schools in the world, 163 are located in Africa. And almost every major city in French-speaking African countries has a French lycée. There are 36 in Morocco, 23 in Madagascar, 13 in Senegal and 5 in Cameroon, to name just a few.

In Cameroon, specifically in the capital city of Yaoundé, there is the French Lycée Fustel-de-Coulangeswhich is attended by about 785 students, including 419 French, and the International School Le Flamboyantwith 151 students, 58 of whom are French. The Lycée français Dominique-Savio in Douala has 1119 students, 598 of whom are French.

In the city of Garoua, the French School Le Tinguelin has 31 students, 12 of whom are French. The only school with only 4 French students is the French SchoolLes Boukarous in Maroua with a total enrollment of 14 students.

As we can notice, these institutions welcome both French and nationals.

France is not, however, the only country that creates schools in Africa to train its nationals. As Aboubacar Soumah mentions, "everywhere in Africa, especially in Guinea, we see French, Chinese, Lebanese, Turkish, Arab, American schools, to name a few." In Ghana, we can cite the Lincoln Community School and in Mozambique, the AmericanInternational School of Mozambique which are American schools.

These schools generally have a very good reputation. The main objective is to allow the children of foreign nationals in these states to follow the same programs as those who remain in their home country. This may seem paradoxical in that it is the systems derived from colonization that are practiced in these countries.But this probable paradox is justified.

Although the majority of educational systems in Francophone Africa were modeled on those of France and slightly modified after independence [2], French nationals in these African capitals, prefer to resort to French high schools because the pedagogical methods and content used there are up to date, innovation and critical thinking are encouraged, as opposed to approaches that mainly favor memorization and restitution of knowledge.

Beyond the supposed "better quality" of education, these foreign schools facilitate the integration of their graduates into the professional environment of the country of origin. For example, it is easier to find employment in France with a French BAC than a Congolese or Burkinabè.Finally, these schools allow students to acquire other languages and open themselves to other cultures. And it is such a strategic concept in terms of cultural diplomacy with considerable economic benefits, that one may wonder why African states do not do the same for their nationals in the West or elsewhere.

Why so few African schools abroad?

While it is true that Western governments have laws that rather favor the inclusion of foreigners in their educational systems (this is the case in France, the Spain and many other countries), the fact remains that the absence of African schools or other training frameworks for African nationals is due to a lack of vision not only of African diplomats but also of immigrants[3].

If we take Cameroon as an example, the French Development Agency in 2019 notes that more than 100,000 Cameroonians reside in France. This is more than enough to create a Cameroonian school or a Cameroonian cultural center in order to strengthen the identity ties of Cameroonian nationals with their country of origin but also to assert itself as a sovereign country.

But for this to happen, Cameroon as well as other African countries would have to do the work that is needed. That is, redefine educational systems and invest more in cultural diplomacywhere education would be a central pillar of the Cameroonian government's strategic plan for international relations.

This cultural diplomacy could thus materialize through the creation of Cameroonian schools or cultural centers in European and world capitals with a strong presence of the Cameroonian diaspora. These schools, beyond the dissemination of a school program and curriculum anchored on Cameroonian values and tradition, will also be centers for the teaching of Cameroonian and African languages and culture in general.

African countries thus have an interest in producing an educational system contextualized to sociopolitical and economic realities. In Cameroon, for some years now, a bilingual system (French and English) has been experimented with, but this educational system differs mainly from others only in that it promotes bilingualism. It is important to develop an educational program that takes more into account the historical and cultural heritage of Cameroon, which could be a source of income and especially a way to strengthen the cultural roots of young people. Yet this is what is being done in the Senegalese city of Touba.

Touba is the third largest city in Senegal in terms of population, with nearly 875,000 inhabitants. It is one of the most developed cities, which differs from others in terms of education where the languages of instruction are Wolof and Arabic. And the vocational training centers adapt their programs to local needs and this city is thus developing, mainly through internal solutions.

Why create African schools outside of Africa?

French and American youth who are in Africa are educated in their various home educational systems to facilitate their reintegration into the national economy and professional world. This is a commendable approach and Africa would benefit from doing the same. African children should integrate schools that speak of their realities: their cultures, their traditions, their difficulties, their potential, etc. Thus, they will not hesitate, once they are adults, to work for the improvement of living conditions in their countries of origin.

In other words, how can we expect a child educated in the French, Italian, Spanish educational system, to name but a few, to be able to think passionately and practically about the development of Africa after 10, even 20 years spent in the said systems? And as mentioned above, it is up to the governments and nationals of the various African communities to do so in order to facilitate a cohabitation with the foreign culture without being denaturalized and in order to prepare the children of the nationals, often born in the West, for the development issues of their continent of origin [4].

Capitalizing on the potential of African communities abroad

The absence of African schools in the West or outside of Africa despite the large African community in that part of the world is a reality and several African countries would benefit from addressing the issue. It is possible to reverse the trend. There would be no harm in emulating and improving on best practices from European and American schools in Africa.

Capitalizing on the potential of the strong African community abroad can be done through African schools or tailored training centers that not only promote integration but also prepare students to meet the challenge of sustainable development in Africa.

Written in collaboration with Narcisse Fomekong

References

[1] It is important to clarify that when we talk about African schools, we are not talking about schools that bring together all Africans but about schools in different African countries, each country having its own realities.

[2] Roland Pourtier, "Education, a major issue in post-independence Africa. Fifty years of education in Africa: a mixed record," Afrique contemporaine 235, no. 3 (2010): 101-14, https://doi.org/10.3917/afco.235.0101

[3] This is not the case for nationals of other continents. As an illustration, China is creating schools in Europe to continue to train Chinese children. This is the case of the Chinese school in Paris.

[4] Many African children, once in Europe, drop out because of the lack of this transitional or adequate education system that takes into account their multicultural or intercultural reality.