Taking Away Their Personal Identity

The children of Kenya were taught to think of themselves as less than equals because of what they were taught in school. They had to speak only English in school and to read books and essays written by English speaking people who were racist towards them. Young children are very impressionable and if all they hear and read is that their race and way of life is wrong and that they are not as intelligent and barbaric they will begin to believe that of themselves. I was appalled in that they were beaten for being caught speaking their native tongue around their schools and were made to wear demeaning signs around their necks. I guess the Englishmen in charge thought they would be quick to learn English if they were beaten or humiliated when they spoke Gīkūyū.

Not being able to get a further education just because their English was not as good is ridiculous especially when one had really high marks in all of the other subjects. Someone who had good English skills and okay marks in the other subjects was allowed to get a better education. With these requirements for admittance into universities they would not even get the brightest of the bunch just the ones who were more fluent in English. I see why the government would want them to be the educated ones. They would want people to be able to communicate with them and be grateful for their education and not rise up against them.

Taking away a group’s language or not allowing it to be spoken in public is a very good way of controlling them. Their language is big part of their culture and in taking that away they were able to change the Kenyan’s culture to suit their needs. Language is what holds a culture together. Without a common language there would be no communication. The Kenyans culture was changed when the English took over and forced the English language on them.