This paper presents a theoretical argument for the introduction of Philosophy for Children (P4C) in schools for the realization of quality education in Africa. While I acknowledge that there is a multiple range of attributes of quality education, I isolate open-mindedness as a value that strives to prepare learners to engage in inquiry and equip them to reason and nurture them into critical, development-oriented citizens. To show the connections between open-mindedness and philosophy with children in the 21st century Africa, I draw upon Bertrand Russell and William Hare (2004) on the one hand and Matthew Lipman (1988) on the other. I submit a case for a Philosophy for Children programme in schools as one fertile site for the dialogue between theory and practice in the enhancement of quality educational reform.