By By ‘Bitrus Audu Sule, Ladi Christiana Abeshi & Makama Usman Isah
Abstract
This paper seek to assess the role of rationalism as a foundation of knowledge exploring its limitation and implication for Nigerian education. The paper argues that over reliance on rationalists‘ principles on education neglects contextual, cultural and social dimension of knowledge acquisition hindering inclusive education. This is because scholars from different angles claimed that there are different sources of acquiring knowledge in school system. Rationalism even though is a cognitive theory of knowledge argued that true knowledge is attainable through the mental faculty of reason. The focus of this article centered on what might be the position of rationalism as a foundation of knowledge in Nigerian education. Rationalists are of the view that regards reason as the principal source and test of knowledge and hold that reality has an inherently logical structure, also asserted that a class of truth knowledge exist with the intellect can be grasp directly.. The five pillars on Nigerian education carried some elements of rationalistic principles. For instance, free and democratic society, a just and egalitarian society, united strong and self-reliance nation among other are very strong concepts that cannot be implemented through technologies. This paper concludes with good recommendation suggesting that, the federal government should incorporating critical thinking exercise into curricula activities with specialize teachers for their implementation, the federal government should provide teachers with rationalist-based training, this will help to foster the ideals of our educational aims and objectives. Nigerian government should re-visit her efforts on education and organize another curriculum conference similar to that of 1969 emphasizes on logical and systematic knowledge.
