Stephen Biko’s Philosophy and Its Pedagogical Implications in South Africa

Abstract

There are many approaches that need to inform education systems around the world. It also matters to know whether policymakers have followed (for example), a socialist or an individualist approach in for-mulating an education system. Furthermore, teachers and other role-players need to understand the para-digm that undergirds their system of education. This article focuses on the ideas of Stephen Biko, a South African political activist whose ideas proliferated in the 1970s. The article shows that certain values are crucial in building education founded on sound social justice policies. Most importantly, it displays that education is never a neutral act and that it will always be influenced by political debates and philosophies in a country.