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

Abstract

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 signifi cant economic and social impact that broadens valuable capabilities. © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015.