1er S

330 mots

Being educated by people belonging to a foreign culture

Since the beginning of the British Empire, during the 19th and 20th centuries, the countries colonised by the settlers have been inexorably changed. Through the colonies, the British and other countries and empires, started “educating” the native populations that they found. This education, given by these foreign countries, was advantageous for the natives concerned but there were also drawbacks. And so we’re going to look at what these advantages and drawbacks are.

By discussing about this subject, we’ve found that there are three main advantages for the natives. Firstly, through education by the colonists, they can have an opening to another completely different culture (they can come into contact with a new language, western traditions, different religions, diverse types of food and a dissimilar way of life). As well they are integrated into a newer society put in place by the settlers. Being educated can be very positive for the poor natives, they can then get qualifications and consequently they can get better jobs. These reasons are positive on the condition that the native peoples pass on and keep alive their own traditions and values.

On the other hand, it’s obvious that if the education is imposed on the natives, it then becomes a form of oppression and propaganda. As a result; the natives own traditions, religion, and their general culture could be lost forever. If they’re integrated into a western society, they could lose all sense of identity, any differences between the two cultures are swept away and they’ll never come back. And a rich plethora of cultures will not be transmitted from generation to generation.

I think that the colonists should have given the natives the tools needed to educate themselves, instead of forcing it onto them. Nowadays, in countries like Australia, you can find an overt poverty, which maybe could have been avoided if the western