This paper, originally given as an address to an African audience of students and academics, examines the functions of education in Africa and argues that the western-oriented approach at tertiary level is injurious to the intellectual development of students. It sets out an analysis of the processes at work in the University of Ghana which alienate students from their own cultural and socio-economic experiences. Using the example of social work education since its inception in 1958 at the University of Ghana, this paper considers the nature of western-oriented curricula, detailing their impact on student learning and African scholarship. Finally, it is argued that the psychological legacy of the colonial era perpetuates the failure of African academia to effectively confront the dominance of Anglo-American paradigms.