In Third World countries, the education system frequently undergoes repeated modifications across generations. Reflecting on this issue, a politician once sorrowfully remarked that it resembles a "process of unlearning."
Knowledge is acquired only to be forgotten, or what one generation learns becomes irrelevant or meaningless to the next. History shows that education systems in many of these nations are often reshaped to align with the ideological goals of those in power.
Such changes disrupt foundational truths, akin to flipping the North Pole with the South.
For example, during South Africa's apartheid era, textbooks were designed to validate white supremacy. After gaining independence, the education system shifted to denounce racial discrimination, but the deep-seated influence of the previous doctrine was not easily erased.
Similarly, Rwanda experienced drastic changes in its education system before and after the genocide, reflecting shifts in ethnic power structures.
Rabindranath Tagore’s poem Adhikar aptly illustrates this phenomenon. In the poem, various plants argue their superiority based on unique traits such as fragrance, color, or beauty, while the humble taro asserts its legitimacy by rooting itself deeply in the earth.
The message implies that true rights belong to those firmly grounded. However, politics follows a different trajectory, destabilizing history through constant changes to curricula and uprooting essential truths.
As a result, each generation is taught a different version of history, leading to widespread confusion and skepticism about historical facts.
Examples from Nigeria and Zimbabwe further illustrate this pattern. In Nigeria, successive military rulers revised textbooks to exaggerate their ideologies and accomplishments.
In Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe used the education system to glorify his personal legacy, leaving students ignorant of authentic historical narratives.
The greater harm, however, lies in how such curriculum changes make previous learning seem futile, creating a recurring void in students’ understanding.
As Tagore poignantly expressed in another poem: “No matter how you turn the body, the left hand remains on the left, and the right on the right.”
How long will this destructive cycle of politicized education, manipulation, and repetition persist? When people realize that education prioritizes the interests of the ruling elite over truth, they lose trust in its value.
Rwanda, after enduring significant conflict, restructured its education system to promote ethnic unity. True freedom is only possible when education becomes self-reliant and committed to truth.
To address this challenge, Third World countries must ensure the autonomy of their education systems.
Otherwise, if education continues to serve as a tool for political propaganda, the "process of unlearning" will endure indefinitely, eroding progress across generations.
For the collective good of these nations, achieving consensus on the fundamental purpose of education is imperative—there is no alternative.
