Traditional Education Essay

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INDIGENOUS AFRICAN EDUCATION What one would say without any arguments is that education existed for as long as human beings started living in their societies in Africa. This type of education is known as indigenous African education or traditional African education. Before the introduction of education brought by the missionaries in Africa, there was a form of education that was aimed at preparing people for a better life in the society. This type of education started from childhood until such a time when an individual attained adulthood. This type of education existed in Africa way back before the coming of the missionaries. Kelly (1999:1) defines education as a lifelong process in which the older generations impart skills, values and knowledge into the young ones for their own survival. “Education is not the same as schooling, but it is a lifelong process conducted by many agencies”. Education is the action exercised by adult generation on those who are not yet ready for social life. African children in pre-colonial period learnt what they lived because they acquired Informal education which is the life-long process whereby every individual acquires attitudes, values, skills and knowledge from daily experiences and other educational influences and resources in each one’s environment for their own survival. This is the type of education where one learns how to survive in life through experiences and instructions from the elders by adapting to the environment. OBJECTIVES The objectives of indigenous education which can be included in today’s Zambian curriculum are discussed here under: Survivalist education teaches individuals to adapt to the environment by finding out means of surviving on their own void of others. It is clear in Africa and Zambia in particular today that there is no any other form of education taught for the survival of the children as it

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