Conceptualising education for ecological democracy in Lesotho: an African philosophy of education perspective

Abstract

Klimaatsverandering is ’n wêreldwye bedreiging wat ons op die rand van ekologiese onsekerheid gebring het. Die krisis wat ons in die gesig staar as gevolg van klimaatsverandering het ’n impak op alle aspekte van die menslike lewe, ’n werklikheid wat wesenlike kommer wek terwyl dit ons gemeenskappe se verhouding met die omgewing beklemtoon. Natuurlike faktore soos vulkaniese uitbarstings, veranderende seestrome, sonkragvariasies en interne veranderlikheid word in verskillende lande ervaar. Hierdie natuurlike faktore veroorsaak klimaatsverandering teen ’n kommerwekkende tempo. Sulke natuurlike faktore is geïdentifiseer onder dié wat verantwoordelik is vir die klimaatverwante rampe wat verskeie lande in die onlangse verlede ervaar het. Daarom is ons verplig om strukture te artikuleer en in plek te stel om die oorsake van klimaatsverandering te versag tot die veranderinge wat reeds plaasvind. Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie het die potensiële bydrae van die Afrika Filosofie van Onderwys, gegrond in kommunitarisme en uitgedruk deur die konsepte van ubuntu en ukama, ondersoek om onderwys vir Ekologiese Demokrasie in die Lesotho-onderwysbeleidkonteks te konseptualiseer. Die studie het ’n transformerende paradigma aangeneem om die hoofnavorsingsvraag aan te spreek: Watter potensiaal bied die Afrika-filosofie van Onderwys aan om onderwys vir ekologiese demokrasie binne die konteks van Lesotho se onderwysbeleid te konseptualiseer? ’n Kwalitatiewe benadering ondersteun deur ’n literatuuroorsig, dokument- en beleidsanalise het die Afrika-filosofie van Onderwys en sy kommunitarisme-konsepte van ubuntu en ukama verduidelik. As ’n literatuuroorsigstudie het die studie nie deelnemers gehad nie, maar is gelei deur Samuel se riglyne oor beleidslesing en Gagnon en Labonte se ontledingsraamwerk. Ek het die inhoud van geselekteerde dokumente wat klimaatsverandering in Lesotho en die Lesotho-onderwysbeleidslandskap aanspreek, ontleed om die potensiaal van Lesotho se onderwys vir ekologiese demokrasie te konseptualiseer. Ontledings van die dokumente het aan die lig gebring dat die versagting van klimaatsverandering in Lesotho moontlik is wanneer burgers gemotiveer word om deur gemeenskappe te werk om die Basotho-kulturele identiteit gegrond binne die Afrika-filosofie van Onderwys en die inkorporering van die Afrika-idees van ubuntu en ukama te handhaaf en te bewaar. Deur ’n kommunitarisme leefwyse en demokratiese bestuur waar te neem, leer mense in gemeenskappe om saam te werk en om te gee vir die omgewing, en dit sal nie net mense bevoordeel nie maar ook ander deur die skepping van strukture wat ’n harmonieuse lewe tussen mense en ander moontlik maak, en by te dra tot die kennis van ekologiese demokrasie.

Climate change is a global threat that has brought us to the edge of ecological precarity. The crisis we face due to climate change impacts all aspects of human life, a reality which raises substantial concerns while highlighting our communities' relationship with the environment. Natural factors such as volcanic eruptions, changing ocean currents, solar variations, and internal variability are experienced in different countries. These natural factors are inducing climate change at an alarming rate. Such natural factors have been identified among those responsible for the climate-related disasters experienced by various countries in the recent past. Therefore, we are compelled to articulate and put in place structures to mitigate the causes of climate change to the changes already occurring.

This qualitative study explored the potential contribution of the African Philosophy of Education, grounded in communitarianism and expressed through the concepts of ubuntu and ukama, to conceptualising education for Ecological Democracy in the Lesotho education policy context. The study adopted a transformative paradigm to address the main research question: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘰 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘺? A qualitative approach supported by a literature review, document and policy analysis unpacked the African Philosophy of education and its communitarianism concepts of ubuntu and ukama.

As a literature review study, the study did not have participants but was guided by Samuel's guidelines on policy reading and Gagnon and Labonte's framework of analysis. I analysed the content of selected documents that address climate change in Lesotho and the Lesotho educational policy landscape to conceptualise the potential of Lesotho education for ecological democracy. Analyses of the documents revealed that climate change mitigation in Lesotho is possible when citizens are motivated to work through communities to maintain and preserve the Basotho cultural identity grounded within the African Philosophy of Education and its incorporation of the African ideas of ubuntu and ukama. By communitarianism living and observing democratic governance, people in communities learn to cooperate and collaborate, and care for the environment, and this will benefit not only humans but also non-humans through the creation of structures allowing harmonious living between humans and non-humans, and contribute to the knowledge of ecological democracy.

Ukushintsha kwesimo sezulu kwesabisa umhlaba wonke nosekufikise ekugcineni kwengozi yemvelo. Inkinga esibhekene nayo ngenxa yokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu ithinta zonke izici zempilo yomuntu, okuyiqiniso eliphakamisa ukukhathazeka okukhulu kuyilapho kugqamisa ubudlelwano bemiphakathi yethu nemvelo. Izici zemvelo ezifana nokuqhuma kwentaba-mlilo, ukushintsha kwemisinga yolwandle, ukushintshashintsha kwelanga, nokuhlukahluka kwangaphakathi kuyatholakala emazweni ahlukene. Lezi zici zemvelo zibangela ukuguquka kwesimo sezulu ngezinga elishaqisayo. Izici ezinjalo zemvelo ziye zabonakala phakathi kwalabo ababangela izinhlekelele ezihlobene nesimo sezulu emazweni ahlukahlukene esikhathini esidlule. Ngakho-ke, siphoqelekile ukuthi sisho futhi sibeke izinhlaka zokunciphisa izimbangela zokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu ezinguqukweni esezivele zenzeka. Lolu cwaningo oluyikhwalithethivu luhlole igalelo elingaba khona leFilosofi Yezemfundo Yase-Afrikha, esekelwe ekuhlanganeni komphakathi futhi livezwa ngemiqondo yobuntu kanye nekama, ukuqamba imfundo yeNtando yeningi Yemvelo ngaphansi kwenqubomgomo yezemfundo yaseLesotho. Ucwaningo lusebenzise ipharadaymu eguquguqukayo ukubhekana nombuzo wocwaningo oyinhloko: Yimaphi amandla iFilosofi Yase-Afrikha Yezemfundo ewanikayo ukuqamba imfundo yemfundo yentando yeningi yemvelo ngaphansi kwenqubomgomo yezemfundo yaseLesotho? Indlela yekhwalithethivu esekelwe ukubuyekezwa kwemibhalo, uhlaziyomibhalo kanye nokuhlaziywa kwenqubomgomo kwembule iFilosofi Yase-Afrikha Yezemfundo kanye nemiqondo yayo yokuhlangana komphakathi yobuntu kanye nekama. Njengocwaningo lokubuyekezwa kwemibhalo, ucwaningo aluzange lube nababambiqhaza kodwa lwaluqondiswa imihlahlandlela kaSamuel mayelana nokufundwa kwenqubomgomo kanye nohlaka lokuhlaziya lukaGagnon noLabonte. Ngihlaziye okuqukethwe kwemibhalo ekhethiwe ekhuluma ngokushintsha kwesimo sezulu eLesotho kanye nesimo senqubomgomo yezemfundo yaseLesotho ukuze ngicabange amandla emfundo yaseLesotho yentando yeningi yemvelo. Ukuhlaziywa kwemibhalo kuveze ukuthi ukunqanda ukuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu eLesotho kungenzeka uma izakhamizi zigqugquzeleka ukuthi zisebenze emiphakathini ukuze zigcine futhi zilondoloze ubunikazi bamasiko eBasuthwini obusekelwe kwiFilosofi Yase-Afrikha Yezemfundo kanye nokufakwa kwayo kwemibono yama-Afrikha yobuntu nobukama. Ngokuphila kokuhlangana komphakaathi nokubheka ukubusa kwentando yeningi, abantu emiphakathini bafunda ukubambisana nokusebenzisana, nokunakekela imvelo, futhi lokhu ngeke kuzuze abantu kuphela kodwa nokungebona abantu ngokwakhiwa kwezakhiwo ezivumela ukuphila ngokuzwana phakathi kwabantu nokungebona abantu, kanye nokufaka isandla olwazini lwentando yeningi yemvelo.

Phetoho ya maemo a lehodimo ke tshoso e kgolo lefatsheng ka bophara e re tlisitseng pheletsong ya ho senyeha ha tikoloho. Tlokotsi eo re tobaneng le yona ka lebaka la phetoho ya maemo a lehodimo e ama dikarolo tsohle tsa bophelo ba motho, e leng ntho ya sebele e hlahisang matshwenyeho a maholo ha e ntse e totobatsa kamano ya setjhaba sa habo rona le tikoloho. Dintho tsa tlhaho tse kang ho phatloha le ho phatlalla ha seretse se tjhesang, ho tuduhana ha maqhubu a lewatle, ho fetoha ha letsatsi le ho fetoha ha maemo a ka hare di etsahala dinaheng tse sa tshwaneng. Dintlha tsena tsa tlhaho di etsa hore boemo ba lehodimo bo fetohe ka lebelo le tshosang. Dintho tse jwalo tsa tlhaho di nnile tsa fumanwa hara tse bakileng dikoduwa tse amanang le boemo ba leholimo tseo dinaha tse fapafapaneng di bileng le tsona morao tjena. Ka lebaka leo, re tlameha ho hlalosa le ho sebedisa mekgwa ya ho fokotsa disosa tsa phetoho ya maemo a lehodimo diphetohong tse seng di ntse di etsahala. Diphuputso tsena tsa bolengdi hlahlobile seabo se ka bang teng sa Filosofi ya Thuto ya Afrika, e thehilweng ho setjhaba mme e hlahiswa ka dikgopolo tsa ubuntu le ukama, ho theha thuto bakeng sa Demokrasi ya Tikoloho maemong a leano la thuto la Lesotho. Diphuuputso di ile tsa amohela mokgwa o fetolang ho sebetsana le potso ya mantlha ya dipatlisiso: Ke bokgoni bofe ba filosofi ya thuto ya Afrika bo fanang ka thuto bakeng sa demokrasi ya tikoloho ka hara moralo wa leano la thuto la Lesotho. Mokgwa wa boleng o tsheheditsweng ke tlhahlobo ya dingodilweng, ditokomane le tlhahlobo ya maano o ile wa senola filosofi ya thuto ya Afrika le dikgopolo tsa yona tsa setjhaba tsa ubuntu le ukama. Bakeng sa tekolobotjha ya dingodilweng, diphuputso tsena di ne di se na bankakarolo empa di ile tsa tataiswa ke tataiso ya Samuel mabapi le ho bala leano le moralo wa Gagnon le Labonte la tlhahlobo. Mofuputsi o ile a hlahloba ditaba tsa ditokomane tse kgethilweng tse buang ka phetoho ya maemo a lehodimo Lesotho le dipolotiki tsa thuto Lesotho ho nahana ka bokgoni ba thuto ya Lesotho bakeng sa demokrasi ya tikoloho. Ditlhahlobo tsa ditokomane di senotse hore ho fokotsa phetoho ya maemo a lehodimo Lesotho ho a kgoneha ha baahi ba susumetswa ho sebetsa le setjhaba ho sireletsa le ho boloka boitsebahatso ba setso sa Basotho bo thehilweng ho Filosofi ya Thuto ya Afrika; le ho kenyelletsa mehopolo ya Afrika ya ubuntu le ukama. Ka ho phela le ho boloka puso ya demokrasi, batho ba metseng ba ithuta ho ba le tshebedisano le ho theha maqhama, le ho hlokomela tikoloho, mme sena se ke ke sa tswela batho molemo feela empa le bao eseng batho ka ho theha meralo e dumellang ho phela ka kutlwano dipakeng tsa batho le bao eseng batho, le ho kenya letsoho tsebong ya demokrasi ya tikoloho.