Theorizing African Educational Systems

A Decolonial Framework for Comparative Studies in Ghana

Abstract

This theoretical article confronts the persistent epistemic hegemony of Western paradigms in comparative education studies conducted within African contexts, using Ghana as a focal point. It argues that the uncritical application of Eurocentric models and metrics often misrepresents African educational realities, reinforcing deficit narratives and obscuring indigenous knowledge systems and pedagogical practices. The objective is to propose a robust decolonial framework to re-orient comparative educational research towards African-centered epistemologies. Methodologically, the article engages in a critical synthesis of decolonial theory, particularly the works of African scholars, and applies this to an analysis of prevailing comparative methodologies. The core argument posits that a meaningful comparative study of Ghanaian education must be grounded in an epistemic delinking from universalist Western frameworks. The proposed alternative framework centres on ontological pluralism, privileging local ontologies, languages, and community-defined indicators of educational success. Key findings suggest that such an approach would illuminate the endogenous logics of Ghana’s educational systems, fostering more authentic and ethically-grounded cross-regional comparisons within the continent. The significance of this work lies in its contribution to the intellectual project of decolonizing African educational scholarship, offering researchers a conceptual tool for producing knowledge that is not only about Africa but is fundamentally for and from an African standpoint, thereby enhancing the relevance and transformative potential of comparative education studies.