Africa's Heath and Education | Page 54

The PANAFRICAN Review
in the global comity of nations , Africa appears to be going in the opposite direction . For centuries and up until currently , many Caucasian ( white ) American and European mothers choose to spend a considerable amount of time at home when their children are not of school age . Fathers are joining the mother ’ s in more recent times , allowing their wives to hold careers while they stay home to provide the critical foundation for raising successful children . Many of the scientists , entrepreneurs , artists , educationists , medical doctors and researchers and technologists that we know today across the West became so because they were not shipped off to school before they turned 3 years old . They were raised by at least one present parent , and their sense of self was sealed before they had to be exposed to the harsh non-family environment of the school setting .
Mother-tongue expression is deep and spontaneous . Spontaneity of communication has been linked with an exponential increase in innovation and creativity . The muzzling of Africa ’ s indigenous languages has been linked to , among others , the low level of innovation and productivity across the social , political , and economic spheres in the region . Individuals , communities and governments in Africa will do well to shift the emphasis back to raising children who will deeply connect with their environment and reality . It is such children who can grow up to feel such an intense sense of oneness with their roots that they will seek to transform their communities and nations for the better . ❧ ❧ ❧

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