Education - Africa

In 1976 in Dakar

First of all: Leopold Sedar Senghor (President of Senegal at this time) is a known poet. Among other titles, he has been a Minister in France in 1959, an a co-redactor of the Constitution of the 5th republic of France in 1958.I did not succeed to find anything “negative” about him on Internet.

I arrived at Dakar in October 1976. A few days after my arrival, my wife and myself went one evening to a cinema. When we came out (it was about 11 p.m.), we noticed there were a lot of very young (aged 3 to 8) children among the beggars near the cinema, and they did not looked miserable, they were dressed correctly. We were coming from Zaïre, where such things are common (except to correct clothes) in the three big cities …but at Dakar, with such a great man as president, what was that? The answer is horrible, really to vomit: The “real” chiefs of Senegal (except the south) were Islamic chiefs (Where they really Islamic or only money makers?, I could never find a clear answer). Anyway, the country was under fanatic Islam control (note: no terrorism, nothing easy to see for someone "from outside"). But, when I was at a terrace with Senegalese colleagues, they explained that if they drink even a beer, they would lose their job. And what about the young beggars? Here it is: The power of a "religious chief" was measured by the number of children begging for him. What did this children get for that? The Koranic school (Senegalese version?): Up to the age of 11, they learned the Koran and had to be able to recite it. Starting at 12, there started to learn Arabic, so they could be able to understand the recite! I was also private pilot: When flying over the desertic zone (North and north-east of Dakar), the castles of this chiefs could be easy identified: Small luxurious zones, like in a James bond film. President Senghor (Catholic) had the choice: Or he let it like that and stayed President, or tried to stop this horror, and he would not stay President. He had made his choice, what a great man he was!

In Central Africa and probably everywhere in the world (with different intensities, of course)

A child start "empty" (like a computer without OS). He has of course physical reflexes. His brain is progressively filled with information (and very rarely with "try to think"). This information comes usually from the parents, the teachers, and ...TV (more and more, about 3 to 5 hours daily.)

What can be the "result"? When one, starting very early, knows only "one truth" - the Koran in our example, but it can be anything - it's a nonsense to say "He is stupid, he should realise that …, why don't he sees that …?". He had no choice - anything else is not only absurd, but a real nonsense for him. And the parents, his (or her) first educators, are exactly under the same influence. How is information going, mainly? The TV makes money with publicity. The more a program is seen, the highest prices for publicity can be asked. So, "experts" choice the TV programs, with the only goal: a maximum audience. Truth or not, misinformation or not, who cares? More than a billion of people see the same thing at the same moment. So, it must (!) be the truth and the most important thing to know. Who would disagree? Only mad people! (A note here: in Brussels, as everywhere in "advanced" countries, the minorities are well protected (gays, adepts of some (not all) sects, a lot of very rare things). Since two or three years, in some parts of the town, everybody has to pay the yearly tax on TV, regardless you have or not a TV (about $200). When I tried to explain I had no TV because I don't want, they (the authorities) did not understand (that I was among a minority). They offer me, if I was really to poor, the opportunity to buy a very cheap second hand TV. When I tried again to explain I was not interested, they asked me if I was blind!)

A recent example: in France, a woman was bitten by a dog and had her face "destroyed" by that. An operation to put her a new face was successful. This is a private thing …some experts noticed that is was in the pattern (violence, medical, spectacular) that could attract a lot of spectators. And so a billion people could see the new face of this woman (at all the TV and newspapers, only made for those who "like to be brainwashed").

I don't see any hope in the future about this: A lot is done to try to stop people smoking - good - nothing is done about media (physically probably less dangerous - not so sure if we consider an horizon not too small - mentally for sure much worse).