Colonial dimensions of basic education policy reforms in selected African countries

Abstract Basic education policies in many African countries display common characteristics that can be traced to colonial legacies. While these countries have introduced various educational reforms since independence, colonial influences continue to shape the structure, governance, and delivery of basic education. Therefore, this study explores related basic education policies in South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Egypt. These countries were purposefully selected based on their colonial heritage. Accordingly, the researchers focused on analysing both similarities and differences in the common basic education policies. The Integrated Implementation Model was used to understand how different parts of these policies are connected. Based on this model, a policy commentary approach was employed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the policies. The network visualisation was created in VOSviewer to explore the connections between selected education policies, legislative frameworks, and associated educational themes. The findings show that the most related basic education policies in the selected countries include the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act (2024) in South Africa, Education Act (2008) in Ghana, National Policy on Education (1977) in Nigeria, Basic Education Act (1968) in Kenya, Education Sector Policy (2010) in Rwanda, Education Act (1978) in Tanzania, and Egypt Education Law (1981). Additionally, most of the education Acts highlight free and compulsory basic education, inclusive access, vocational training, early childhood learning, and teacher professionalism. Many of such policies, however, differ in areas such as language use, digital literacy, governance style, curriculum priorities, funding methods, community involvement, and inclusion of health and environmental topics. These differences are most evident during the implementation phase, primarily due to each country's unique historical, economic, and political context. It was recommended that Nigeria's focus on TVET provides a useful model for addressing youth unemployment by aligning education with labour market needs. Additionally, decentralised governance systems, such as those in South Africa and Kenya, promote responsiveness to local needs and allow for more equitable resource distribution.