DECOLONIZING THE MIND OF THE OPPRESSED: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF NGUGI WA THIONG’O AND PAULO FREIRE

Knowledge is power - this insight is at least four centuries old, formulated by philosopher Francis Bacon during the Enlightenment. His statement has lost nothing in terms of relevance and significance: Knowledge is power, and education is the fundamental precondition for political development, democracy and social justice. This paper explores how African writer Ngugi Wa Thiong’o establishes the relationship between the language and power in the process of decolonising the mind. On the other hand, Freire?s generative themes is a student centered system of learning that challenges how knowledge is constructed in the formal education system and in society at large. Freire’s student centered approach stands in stark contrast to conventional educational practice, which he referred to as the “banking approach” to education. Freire has been able to draw upon and weave together a number of strands of thinking about educational practice and liberation .His theoretical innovations have had a considerable impact on the development of educational practice all over the world.