Current African education systems are a result of multiple legacies and influences. It is difficult to identify the major figures whose initiatives or writings impacted significantly the conception of education in Africa. In the absence of satisfactory criteria for drawing up a list of the most important authors in the continent, the article analyses the major trends that have marked the debate around key educational issues at different periods. The author thus discusses the central role of the community in creating and transmitting new knowledge in traditional societies. He criticizes the poor contextualization of colonial education and the lack of coherent educational models during the single-party period. He discusses the progress made in terms of philosophical and theoretical conceptualization of post-colonial education in Africa. He ends by highlighting areas of collaboration in this era of globalization.