The Effect of Western Formal Education on the Ghanaian Educational System and Cultural Identity

Abstract:Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 15th century, informal education existed in Ghana with the goal of introducing young people into the society. The traditions and values of the community, as well as the meaning of life, were taught to the child. By using postcolonial theory as a framework for analysis, it is evident that the Western formal education introduced to the people of the Gold Coast by the Christian missionaries and the British Colonial government did not serve the indigenous population well. Rather, it denationalized and facilitated the indignity and loss of cultural identity of the Ghanaian. The missionary and colonial education aimed at character training and civilization resulted in cultural annihilation and religious, and linguistic hegemony.