Mary Zulu-Mwiche
BIOGRAPHY
Rev Dr. Mary Zulu-Mwiche is an ordained clergy in the United Church of Zambia (The UCZ). She is a trained educator and theologian, specialising in History, Christian Education, Theology and Development. On completion of her secondary education, she obtained a diploma in education and a degree in Theology at Nkrumah College of Education and the Theological College of Central Africa respectively. She did her postgraduate studies at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal in South Africa. In her academic career, she views herself as ‘cutting across disciplines’ and has special interest in Religion, Law, Gender and Education studies. She is currently in a pastoral charge based in Mkushi, Zambia. In her community work, she focuses on gender advocacy. She is married and has children and grandchildren.
ABSTRACT
Mary Zulu-Mwiche, “When Education is the oppressor; a review of the role of the Church in Zambia’s Education system steeped in a Capitalist Colonialism”
Education is one of the fundamentals of human life. In all its forms and nature, education nurtures life. This paper argues that education, more so as it has been institutionalised and adopted in the functionality of the world, can captivate and colonise minds to think in a way that makes those with ‘power’ to control and perpetuate their authority over nations and peoples whom they wish to subjugate. Using the systems theory, this paper will interrogate Zambia’s Education system to show how the system is life denying to the very people that it seeks to serve. It argues that the formal education system that Zambia has is embedded in colonialism and capitalism that continues to perpetuate a class society that largely benefits its former colonisers, entrenches patriarchy, and creates a class society. It uses literature review in a qualitative method and the systems theory to argue for the need to reimage Zambia’s education systems to align to its national value of being “proud and free, land of work and joy in unity. Victors in the struggle for the right” (National Anthem).
The key questions that this paper interrogates are; If Zambia is really an independent country, to what extent does its education enhance its liberation as reflected in its anthem? How has the Church in its hermeneutics of education contributed to reimaging or affirming the oppressed position? How can the Church reimage its missional role to educate for liberation?