The African Educational Evolution: From Traditional Training to Formal Education

Abstract

<p>This paper attempts to critically examine the approaches that were employed by Africans in their knowledge, skills and attitudes acquisition before, after and during colonialisation of the continent. The paper looks at three distinctive epochs from which the perfect understanding of how learning in Africa transformed could be concluded.</p> <p>It is notable that there was a period before Africa got colonised, which was followed by the period during colonisation, before the independence of the continent. The position that is strongly advanced through this paper is that even before colonialism the African societies offered training to their members, which was characterized by the provision of survival skills to individuals who were supposed to selflessly serve their societies. Members of African societies learnt through their interaction with their physical and spiritual milieus, as evidenced by their design of tools which they used mostly in their agro activities and in fighting for resources. The other area in which learning took place was that of spirituality or mysticism, as some superstitious members of African communities were believed to have powers of communicating with their ancestors. As noted by Westerlund (1991), the belief in the ancestors is widespread in many African agricultural areas and like divinities and nature spirits, the spirits of ancestors are thought to be intermediaries between God and humankind. The main problem that this paper is intended to advance is that Africa is regarded by some people as having not had any form of education before the arrival of the colonialists and their educational establishments or organisations. This paper therefore raises an argument against this position.</p

The challenges of Integrating Indigenous Knowledge in the teaching of weather and climate in Geography in Manicaland province of Zimbabwe

“…Decolonization of the curriculum allows indigenous communities to control their information, cultural knowledge, histories and cultural artefacts (Baskin, 2006). Mosweunyane (2013) adds that indigenous world views promote the use of indigenous pedagogies in the classroom such as the use of traditional songs and stories.…”

Africa Interprofessional Education Network (AfrIPEN)

“…Health professions educators in Africa acknowledge the value of globalization and the associated development and prosperity that goes with it, but many resent the loss of typical African socialization and learning. For example, Mosweunyane (2013) has argued that pre-colonial teachers were viewed as custodians of knowledge by the recipients of their training. The culture supported assumptions that what was taught was never questioned.…”

“…Although most African cultures rely on collective decision-making, the chief or the patriarch makes the final decision. This essential topdown traditional culture of acquiescence before one's superiors (Mosweunyane, 2013) may hinder the implementation of shared decision-making and collaborative leadership. This may explain why educators often verbally and cognitively acknowledge curricular innovations like IPECP but have been slow to implement changes (Botma & Nyoni, 2015).…”

“…For example, more than 80% of the health-care consumers in South Africa consult the traditional healer (sangoma) before or during the use of "Western medicine". The spirits of ancestors are believed to be intermediaries between God and humankind, and should not be dismissed as unimportant as they are thought to play an important role in taking and restoring health (Mosweunyane, 2013). The recognition of traditional healers in South Africa has added another important element to this discourse (Republic of South Africa, 2007).…”

The necessity of traditional values to the modern educational system, the case of the Kôngo people of the democratic republic of Congo

“…22 The demonstration of the scientific nature of the ATR justifies the necessity felt by Mosweunyane of more research "to be done to unearth important knowledge that belong to Africa, which can be utilized in the economic, political and social advancement of the continent. 23 This demonstration implies that the educational system of Kôngo people, like that of other south-Saharan ethnics and diasporan Blacks, should not be any more cornered to the model bequeathed by the colonial social system. Hence, it is time for the values that made the fame of the Africa of yester-time to inspire nowadays educational systems of the Blacks and be included in them.…”