TY - JOUR AU - Rajah, Surversperi Suryakumari PY - 2020/03/03 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Conceptualising community engagement through the lens of African indigenous education JF - Perspectives in Education JA - pie VL - 37 IS - 1 SE - Research articles DO - 10.18820/2519593X/pie.v37i1.1 UR - https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/pie/article/view/4251 SP - 1-14 AB - <p>The conceptualisation of “community engagement” at Higher Education in South Africa remains a topic for debate in the transformation agenda. South African Indigenous knowledge has been transmitted and perennially refreshed through educational pedagogy that are characterized by a sensitivity to African Philosophy, axiology and the spirit of Ubuntu. This article presents a qualitative critical review from the perspective of African indigenous education of the conceptualisation of community engagement. Community engagement is explored as a contemporary pedagogical counterpart to the indigenous pedagogies that supported African epistemology and axiology and community engagement is positioned within a natural evolution of the South African indigenous education and human development framework. Since children are the most vulnerable and affected community it is postulated that a student-centred framework for community engagement would offer an empowering praxis for a new South African Indigenous Education. Community engagement conceptualised within African Indigenous Knowledge Systems is argued as a means towards authentic transformation giving “voice” and “agency” to communities across all levels of education. Within this framework, the article affirms the use of indigenous concepts and practices within a transformed education system where Higher Education assumes a key role-player in human development from the cradle to the grave.</p> ER -