Indigenous
education is that type of education that requires the curriculum to e
shifted or centred around the traditional and local settings of a
particular nation. It involves the various ways by which different
cultural norms, values, skills, attitudes and cultures are been
transfered from one generation to another. It encompases rhe need to
the transmission of the traditions, laws, as well as the entire teaching
and learning process involved in that area.
For indigenous education to be effective, there is strong need to improve the language of education and to shape it in such a way that both the learner and the teacher would enjoy a perfect communication process eithet within the classroom situation or outside the classroom. Nigeria been a multi-linguistic society, its very difficult to adopt a perfect language that could be used to impact knowledge.
In the past, Nigeria's philosophy of education as well as its indigenous education is geared based on the concept of functional eduction process. Funcational education is that education in which the various cultural and vocational activities of a country is been included in its educational curriculum. Nigeria before the coming of the british imperialists have their own traditional education. Children learn by imitation from elders. Learning as of then is been done in a different form. Children learns from play, story telling, practical etc. During that period, training like weaving, fishing, farming, etc are very common in the society. They are all impacted unto the children by their various parents. Every member of the society is charged with the task of been a parent surrogate. It musn't necessarily be the parent that will discipline their children, but rather each and every member of that society. That is why the society is viewed on a holistic perspective not an integrated whole.
It was reported over time that the various curriculum of education is as old as man himself. Children are usually enrolled into the Islamic system of education in the north as far as early as 4-5 years. The Mallams usually take care of all that the child needs, and they are in his custody till they're graduated. Under the mallams, they learn all about the Qur'an, stories of the past about Islam, and also memorise the Qur'an. After each session of lesson, the children are then allowed to go for some occupations like weaving, fishing, farming, amulet making, etc so as to sustain themselves. The various Quranic schools usually have the same method of teaching and learning using the slate and local ink called ''tawada''. They learn by repeating from the Mallam untill its commited into memory. Some of them upon graduating are been retain to teach the younger ones and that how the routine is passed on.
The main aim and objective of such type of eduation is to make the child a self reliant person and find an alternative to living not just depend on one source of living. And it quite manifiest in such away the children becomes knowledgeable, and also have a source of income to themsevles rather than depends on the government for jobs that only exist in dreams or for those who have God-fathers to their disposal.
Our forefathers, having succeded in implementing such a curriculum that is been used both in the northern and southern Nigeria are now nowhere to be found, but there effort is indeed worth commending. The colonial imperialists came to Nigeria and met us practicing our own functional education as well as a well arranged system of leadership. The usual language of intruction is chosen based on the culture and traditions of such area. In a typical ''Makarantar Allo'' (Quranic School), the language of instruction is usually the hausa language such that its very easy and familiar among members of the soceity. The first damage or set back our educational sector suffers is the introduction of English as an alternative to our indigenous language thus making teaching and learning process very difficult. The succeded in changing the Nigerian educational curriculum by introducing a different concept based on the system of the 3 R's (i.e the Reading, Writing and Arithmetic) of learning. It now replaced the previous hand, head and heart we're using in the past. Most of the jobs and vocational works we're doing the past comprises of practical activities. Farming, weaving, dyeing, craft etc comprises of a practical thing not mere abstract and complicated concept. The learning is usually pragmatic and thus there was a quality and comprehensive education in the past than now. We now have more class sessions than practicals, thus making learning very difficult.
After so many years, Nigeria is now beginning to see the various upshots and started taken measures that is of too late to have been tackled. English language is now used extensively in all levels of education ranging from elementary to tertiary levels and ignoring our local languages. There is now a strong concern in the education sector as teachers will find it very difficult to learn english language as a second language and uses it to teach effectively, and also the student find it difficult to understand english compared to their normal mother tongue.
In advanced nations like China, Russia, Germany, France etc, the language of instruction is usually their own native language. Non of them adopt english language as a first language in teaching, it only comes as a second language after their own indeginous language. In Russian schools, the native Russian language is used to impact knowldge. Take for instance if I, as a Fulani man should be taught in school using my local ''fulfulde'' language, i bet you that i won't find more difficulties in learning as all thats been said is already known to me and i'm more familiar with it from birth. The difficulty now in using english language is due to the fact that, the child will spend more time trying to find meaning, translating grammatical expressions like '' gentle man on the road'' meaning arm rubber; ''a snake on a lambs body'' meaning a cruel person etc. The time we spend checking our dictionary to be conversant with english grammers and expression is enough for us to have learn alot compared to if we're using our local language.Finally, i'll like to urge the educational minstry to include our local languages into our curriculum right from the elementary level up to the secondary level. Our local languages like Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba should be used to teach and learn. In a typical northern states, massive failures arises due to the unavailability of the children to speak fluent english and it affect them even in their University levels.Local language can be used in the elementary school as a first language and english should come later on as a second language. This will help reduce the massive failures in exams. In countries like France, Russian, they have english schools, but mostly in their tertiary institutions, you must spend your first year to learn their local language before commencing full time lesson.
For indigenous education to be effective, there is strong need to improve the language of education and to shape it in such a way that both the learner and the teacher would enjoy a perfect communication process eithet within the classroom situation or outside the classroom. Nigeria been a multi-linguistic society, its very difficult to adopt a perfect language that could be used to impact knowledge.
In the past, Nigeria's philosophy of education as well as its indigenous education is geared based on the concept of functional eduction process. Funcational education is that education in which the various cultural and vocational activities of a country is been included in its educational curriculum. Nigeria before the coming of the british imperialists have their own traditional education. Children learn by imitation from elders. Learning as of then is been done in a different form. Children learns from play, story telling, practical etc. During that period, training like weaving, fishing, farming, etc are very common in the society. They are all impacted unto the children by their various parents. Every member of the society is charged with the task of been a parent surrogate. It musn't necessarily be the parent that will discipline their children, but rather each and every member of that society. That is why the society is viewed on a holistic perspective not an integrated whole.
It was reported over time that the various curriculum of education is as old as man himself. Children are usually enrolled into the Islamic system of education in the north as far as early as 4-5 years. The Mallams usually take care of all that the child needs, and they are in his custody till they're graduated. Under the mallams, they learn all about the Qur'an, stories of the past about Islam, and also memorise the Qur'an. After each session of lesson, the children are then allowed to go for some occupations like weaving, fishing, farming, amulet making, etc so as to sustain themselves. The various Quranic schools usually have the same method of teaching and learning using the slate and local ink called ''tawada''. They learn by repeating from the Mallam untill its commited into memory. Some of them upon graduating are been retain to teach the younger ones and that how the routine is passed on.
The main aim and objective of such type of eduation is to make the child a self reliant person and find an alternative to living not just depend on one source of living. And it quite manifiest in such away the children becomes knowledgeable, and also have a source of income to themsevles rather than depends on the government for jobs that only exist in dreams or for those who have God-fathers to their disposal.
Our forefathers, having succeded in implementing such a curriculum that is been used both in the northern and southern Nigeria are now nowhere to be found, but there effort is indeed worth commending. The colonial imperialists came to Nigeria and met us practicing our own functional education as well as a well arranged system of leadership. The usual language of intruction is chosen based on the culture and traditions of such area. In a typical ''Makarantar Allo'' (Quranic School), the language of instruction is usually the hausa language such that its very easy and familiar among members of the soceity. The first damage or set back our educational sector suffers is the introduction of English as an alternative to our indigenous language thus making teaching and learning process very difficult. The succeded in changing the Nigerian educational curriculum by introducing a different concept based on the system of the 3 R's (i.e the Reading, Writing and Arithmetic) of learning. It now replaced the previous hand, head and heart we're using in the past. Most of the jobs and vocational works we're doing the past comprises of practical activities. Farming, weaving, dyeing, craft etc comprises of a practical thing not mere abstract and complicated concept. The learning is usually pragmatic and thus there was a quality and comprehensive education in the past than now. We now have more class sessions than practicals, thus making learning very difficult.
After so many years, Nigeria is now beginning to see the various upshots and started taken measures that is of too late to have been tackled. English language is now used extensively in all levels of education ranging from elementary to tertiary levels and ignoring our local languages. There is now a strong concern in the education sector as teachers will find it very difficult to learn english language as a second language and uses it to teach effectively, and also the student find it difficult to understand english compared to their normal mother tongue.
In advanced nations like China, Russia, Germany, France etc, the language of instruction is usually their own native language. Non of them adopt english language as a first language in teaching, it only comes as a second language after their own indeginous language. In Russian schools, the native Russian language is used to impact knowldge. Take for instance if I, as a Fulani man should be taught in school using my local ''fulfulde'' language, i bet you that i won't find more difficulties in learning as all thats been said is already known to me and i'm more familiar with it from birth. The difficulty now in using english language is due to the fact that, the child will spend more time trying to find meaning, translating grammatical expressions like '' gentle man on the road'' meaning arm rubber; ''a snake on a lambs body'' meaning a cruel person etc. The time we spend checking our dictionary to be conversant with english grammers and expression is enough for us to have learn alot compared to if we're using our local language.Finally, i'll like to urge the educational minstry to include our local languages into our curriculum right from the elementary level up to the secondary level. Our local languages like Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba should be used to teach and learn. In a typical northern states, massive failures arises due to the unavailability of the children to speak fluent english and it affect them even in their University levels.Local language can be used in the elementary school as a first language and english should come later on as a second language. This will help reduce the massive failures in exams. In countries like France, Russian, they have english schools, but mostly in their tertiary institutions, you must spend your first year to learn their local language before commencing full time lesson.
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