Training for global citizenship but local irrelevance? The case of an upscale Nigerian secondary school

• In Event: VIRTUAL HYBRID PANEL: The popular turn in global citizenship education: Youth voices from four continents

Proposal

The ‘unique selling point’ advertised by high cost ($3,000 and above per semester) private secondary schools in Nigeria is the promise of becoming a “global citizen” that can go anywhere in the world upon graduation. For example, the hashtag of one of the latest Canadian colleges in Nigeria is #StarthereGoAnywhere. A critical review of the success stories of these ‘international’ schools (Hayden, 2011; reveal that the notion of global citizenship adhered to is alienating of the student’s cultural identity and their immediate social context but in full alignment with a neo-liberal conception of citizenship (Shultz, 2007) that foregrounds capitalistic modes of participation in society (Mitchel, 2003,Gardner-Mctaggart, 2016, Matthews & Sidhu, 2005).

Drawing from Shultz (2007) exploration of global citizenship, this paper analyzes the schooling experiences of five Nigerian secondary school students (including myself) from three interconnected qualitative studies on student engagement for transformative leadership and elite private education in Nigeria. The study found that Nigerian students are being prepared for a neo-liberal conception of global citizenship, as opposed to a “transformationalist” conception of global citizenship that would equip them to become agents of social justice. A neo-liberal vision of global citizenship (Mitchel, 2003, Gardner-Mctaggart, 2016) involves the absorption of racist self-definitions, ignorance about global history from an anti-colonial perspective and complicity in upholding oppressive social structures.

The study results are presented in the form of a case study about a 16-year-old Nigerian secondary school student that aspired for participation in culturally relevant social leadership but graduated from an elite secondary school ill-equipped to contribute to the development of her indigenous community. As Feign & Orum (1991) notes, case studies allow for the synthesis of information from multiple sources over time and for its presentation in a grounded and relatable manner. Accordingly, the study vividly illustrates the human development crisis and the contradiction in Nigerian elite education that is focused on developing citizens for “global citizenship” but fails to prepare young Nigerians to learn about themselves as cultural-historical beings and agents for local and continental leadership. The case highlights that the global citizenship curriculum measures its success based on the number of students who gain admission and attend Western universities. This pursuit is achieved by immersing the students in a copied colonial curriculum that upholds Western standards and values as the epitome of humanity. In effect, the curriculum denies these Nigerian students their humanity and right to equitably participate in the “global society” by not teaching them about their culture and history. Student voice is also stifled in this school. For example, even though, students had critical and constructive views about their curriculum, student programming and student life, their views were not considered. In so doing, the school system fails to develop Nigerians who are academically nuanced and embody the capacity and human agency to drive human development in the country.

The study raises critical questions about the ongoing and normalization of anti-black conceptualizations of global citizenship and international education. The paper also draws out implications for teacher education, international development and student engagement.

Author

• Chizoba Imoka, OISE, University of Toronto