VANK (Voluntary Agency Network of Korea) has urged the Ministry of Education and the National Assembly to correct biased portrayals of Africa in middle school social studies textbooks. The organization expanded its “Correcting African Misrepresentation in Textbooks” campaign from elementary to middle schools, warning that current content—focused on themes like poverty and aid—can distort students’ understanding of Africa and undermine global citizenship education.
VANK’s analysis of textbooks from five major publishers revealed problems such as oversimplifying Africa’s 54 countries into a single image, grouping diverse cultural elements like “African instruments” and “African masks” into one stereotype, and portraying Africa as a passive recipient of global support rather than an active agent of change. The chapter “Efforts for Sustainable Development in Africa” was cited as an example, as it frames global challenges as if they are Africa-specific.
To address these issues, VANK recommended adding region-specific cultural details, presenting Africa as a partner in global cooperation, and revising chapter titles to reflect a more balanced perspective. Following similar campaigns for elementary school textbooks, VANK plans to extend its review to high school history and social studies textbooks.
VANK will also meet with lawmakers on July 2-3 to advocate for textbook revisions and is promoting a petition through its “Woollim” policy platform to raise awareness and push for changes in Africa-related content.