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Salient. Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 26, No. 5. Monday, April 29, 1963

Science For Africans

Science For Africans

One of the major problems for African schools today, according to the Nigerian educator, Dr. Babs Fafunwa, is to win "the race between the witch doctor and the teacher as to who gets the child first."

This urgent plea for expanded scientific education in Africa was made by Dr. Fafunwa at a worldwide meeting of scientists and educators called the Conference on the Application of Science and Technology for the Benefit of the Less Developed Areas, held February 4-20, in Geneva, Switzerland, under the sponsorship of the United Nations Organisations.

In his address, Dr. Fafunwa, who is a member of the College of Education at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, stressed the importance of creating a "scientific attitude" in his country. He contended that superstition can be as dangerous as disease itself when it hinders efforts to introduce scientific methods in medicine, agriculture, and other fields.

Dr. Fafunwa has estimated that in 1959 only five teacher-training schools in Nigeria out of a total of over 300 offered any science courses or had proper facilities for teaching science. To reverse this trend the Doctor recommended that science should form a third, or even a half, of elementary school work and should be made compulsory in all schools. Every child, he said, should be able to buy a simple microscope for not more than about 15 cents. To help meet the need for more teachers Dr. Fafunwa felt that "national service" should take the place of military training for all young people.

By acting as tutors in adult literacy schools or helping in construction projects the nation's youth would show that service of this kind was a "far better investment" than military training.