Indigenous Education in the Pre-Colonial Era in South Africa

Table of contents

* PART 1: ACADEMIC ESSAY………….Pages 2 to 4

* INTRODUCTION

* BODY

* CONCLUSION

* PART 2:………………………………......Page 5

* INDIVIDUAL REFLECTION

* BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………Page 6

10th April 2012

Indigenous education in the pre-colonial era in South Africa

Education in the pre-colonial time which involved tradition, culture and wisdom, was passed down orally by means of poems, songs and chants from one generation to the next. These include the history of the previous generations, legendary events that took place and the vital skills needed to prosper in the ever changing environment. Ethics, religion, philosophy, knowledge, geography, history, politics and the range of human life in different groups of people were the main focus areas of educating both adults and children. Education was not only passed down orally but also by means of rock paintings and engravings. Socialisation in the pre-colonial time was highly influenced by the family of the individual, which in turn depicted how the child would behave, think and feel. Socialisation was passed on to generations formally, which was directly teaching an individual and informally, which was indirectly learned by means of observation and the socialisation process. Education for indigenous people had many aspects to it, these included language, initiation, art, practical skills and music and dance.

Language is a crucial source to be accepted into a culture as well as to have knowledge and to understand a culture. Children of different communities learned their languages and what was morally accepted through folk story telling sessions. These sessions were not only of educational value but also entertaining to the children of that community. The story telling sessions were done in the language spoken by that community. The history of the community which included the relationships between the ancestors and gods were described by the people...