Zehlia Babaci-Wilhite

China's aid to Africa: competitor or alternative to the OECD aid architecture?

Purpose – The emergence of the Chinese aid consensus has come to have profound implications for sustainability. The Beijing Consensus “sovereignty doctrine” of non-interference, presents a stark contrast to the Washington Consensus architecture of imposed conditionalities and the serving of geopolitical interests. For this reason, from Africas perspective, the Beijing Consensus appears to represent the preferred comprehensive meta-narrative for Africa. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the attributes of “good” aid architecture in relation to the peculiarities of Africas challenges. Design/methodology/approach – In examining its principles, objectives, framework differences and impact, the Beijing model shows that it supports the human rights which “unleash”, empower and protect self-directed development grounded in ownership and in the strategic interests of recipients. Findings – The Washington Consensus has been problematic for African development because it is economistic and exclusively instrumentalist. While conceding to this shortcoming, the inability of the consensus to appreciate the unique and complex development problems of Africa is more troubling. Comparing the two, the Beijing Consensus, which is multidimensional and encompasses the intrinsic and non-economic roles of development aid, with the consequence of over-emphasizing expanding local policy, is adjudged practical for Africa. The conclusion is that the dominant Washington Consensus is too poorly articulated and structured to respond to declared determination for ownership, mitigating capabilities deprivation, and improving development control. Originality/value – This paper has argued that the basic approach of the Beijing Consensus has been more generous and more attractive for sustainable development in Africa. Much more important, perhaps, is the ability of the consensus to appreciate the unique and complex development problems which occur as a consequence of donor deafness on limited rights and conditionalities. In sum, the Beijing Consensus results in exclusionary changes of “less magnitude and speed” and promotes poverty reduction and sustainable development. Taken together, these factors and practices mean that the Beijing Consensus best serves the staircase of a nations pathway to indigenous development, when compared with the Washington Consensus. Such a comprehensive meta-narrative that builds alliances and creates a foundation for enlightened and effective politics of development aid will “unleash”, empower and protect the full potential of Africa.

A Study of Escalating Debates on the Use of a Global or Local Language in Education

In this chapter I will discuss and analyze issues related to the theories, policies and practices of language choice in education. The scope will be global, reviewing debates and choices around the world, but will give special attention to two countries, Tanzania and Malaysia.

Nordic Aid and the Education Sector in Africa: The Case of Tanzania

The chapter studies the contribution of Nordic Aid to quality education in Africa with a focus on Tanzania. It reviews and draws heavily on existing evidence on the contributions to education and self-determination. The chapter asserts that traditional aid in general has not supported rights in education, but that Nordic aid supports the multiplicity of indigenous education that has retained an important place in human rights and self-sustaining development. The chapter argues that in Tanzania marketing English as a language of instruction is a roadblock to consciousness-raising for social reconstruction and participation of Tanzanians in their own educational development to enrich the development process. The chapter concludes by calling for a rethink of aid conditionalities that market colonial knowledge systems and replacing them with schooling that emphasize culture and voice in diversity, promote freedom with significant economic and social impact that broadens valuable capabilities.

Localization of Instruction as a Right in Education

In this chapter, we will explore the relationship between choice of Language of Instruction (LoI) and quality learning, as well as the implications of this choice for children’s rights in education. We raise the question of why two African countries, Tanzania and Nigeria are disregarding evidence that local LoI is essential for both learning and identity. Our intention is to contribute new perspectives to policy debates concerning language choices in education.

Human Rights in Development AID for STEM Education in Nigerian Languages

This chapter assesses the weaknesses in the teaching and learning of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects in Africa, and proposes new development approaches to STEM teaching and learning. Implicit to these approaches is an acknowledgement that African knowledge and African languages are critical to the effectiveness of STEM teaching and learning.

The Use of Local Languages for Effective Science Literacy as a Human Right

The chapter will give attention to several aspects aimed at improving the quality of learning science using local languages in education and local curriculum. The chapter draws on my research on the teaching of science subjects in Zanzibar, Tanzania (The United Republic of Tanzania)1, South Africa, Nigeria, Norway and the United States, as well as on a review of research on critical issues related to the learning of science that arise from decontextualized teaching and learning in Africa.

Educational Issues in Africa and Asia

This chapter reviews theories appropriate to analyzing the relationship between language choices in education, learning and development in Africa and Asia and addresses the question of why local languages are not used as LoI in most African and some Asian countries. It proposes that an important explanatory factor is the legacy of dependency relationships between Western, developed countries and many countries in the periphery of the post-World War II development axis. Despite sporadic resistance, including the policies of Nyerere in Tanzania in the 1960s and 1970s, the perception in Africa that development is synonymous with emulating Western institutions continues to have relevance for African and Asian education policy in many countries. This creates fertile ground for the extension of global markets for English language curricula and support materials. It will be argued that the theories of Paulo Freire and Amartya Sen could provide a framework for transforming education systems in Africa and Asia so that they are reoriented to the development of local capabilities and the reinforcement of local cultures and languages.

Development Aid in Education

This chapter reviews development aid in education in Africa and in Asia, with a focus on the historical role of international donors in recipient countries. The picture that emerges from this exercise is counter-intuitive; instead of producing positive outcomes, development strategies have actually worsened the problems. The top-down strategies of the international donor agencies have entrenched mechanisms of exploitation and dependency. According to Steve Klees and Omar Qargha (2013), Roger Riddell observed as late as 2007 that in the case of official development assistance (ODA) programs, although there is evidence for both significant success and noticeable failures, we still do not know if most programs have worked or failed. We have our work cut out for us. Any true assessment of the role of international aid in education in Africa and Asia must begin with the clarification of the fundamental issue of the very purpose of education. Geo-JaJa and Azaiki (2010) point to a lack of common understanding of the relationship between donors and recipients, and to relational impairments that amount to “voicelessness and powerlessness” on the part of local players and to poor education. Thus, what Africa and Asia need is empowering local and global literacy within education.

A Rights-Based Approach in North-South Academic Collaboration within the Context of Development Aid

This chapter describes and assesses initiatives by Norad to improve and expand collaboration with universities in developing nations through the sponsorship of university partnerships between Norwegian universities and universities in the South. This chapter uses as a case study of collaboration between the University of Oslo and the University of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania from 2009 entitled “Programme for Institutional Transformation, Research and Outreach” (PITRO). The overall goal of the PITRO collaboration was to increase the contribution of the University of Dar-es-Salaam to Tanzania’s efforts to stimulate economic growth, reduce poverty and improve social well-being through the transformation of the education and science sectors. The core objective of PITRO was to ensure equitable access to high-quality tertiary education in order to acquire necessary knowledge and skills both for increasing economic productivity and for reducing poverty.

Language-in-Education Policy

The focus in this chapter is on two comparisons of the role of LoI in language-in-education policy, first of all comparing Tanzania and Nigeria and secondly comparing Zanzibar with Malaysia. All of these countries have a British colonial legacy and a history characterized by debates about language politics and the choice of language in education. It is important to mention that Tanzania and Zanzibar are one country. Tanganyika gained its independence from Britain on December 9th, 1961 and Zanzibar was declared independent on December 10th, 1963. Tanganyika and Zanzibar united on April 26th, 1964 to form the URT, however, the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar has considerable autonomy over its internal affairs administratively, and has its own legislative body and executive functions including its own ministries.