Indigenous and Western Education
The relevance of Traditional Education
Traditional education, also known as customary acted as an essential foundation for western educations and the modern one. Until today, most of the concepts of the conventional educations system as stills applied in the learning institutions at different levels. As per Adeyemi and Adeyinka (2003), the educations aimed at passing necessary knowledge and skill through teaching values, customs and social practices which have been evolved in various stages. On the same note, the relevance of the traditional education occurs based on its nature of native way of passing knowledge from one generation to another which exist as main concepts of the education systems including modern one (Adeyemi & Adeyinka, 2003). Hence, the traditional education laid a foundation for other education structures such as western one that was brought by missionaries.
The relevance of Western Education
Western education possesses differences with traditional ones but incorporates multiple concepts. According to Jung (2002), the learning of the west system taught what was required by the entire world hence focusing on subjects such as sciences. The education of the west occurs as one being taught in many schools today despite additional of other subjects. The principles of western education play a significant role coming up with modern education which comprises visualization and writing in addition to listening (Jung, 2002). Therefore, the education of the west system offers a substantial description of the current learning structure experienced in various educational institution and levels.
Similarities
Indigenous and western educations possess various similarities. As per Shaw (1998), the two types of education have similar characteristics since education holds a long history in the life of human beings. Educations system focused on achieving common goals based on the different cultures. Moreover, the two types of educations share various commonalities in the modes of delivery as well as goals (Shaw, 1998). Firstly, western education brought by the missionaries shares different concepts with African ones, such as preparing the young generation for the adulthood life. Such preparation ensured the youth become beneficial in aspects of household, village and entire community or tribe. Equally, both education systems aimed at making the youth to be responsible individuals in society upon reaching adulthood (Shaw, 1998). Moreover, to attain such goals, the two education systems instilled social understanding, skills attitudes knowledge and values into the young generations is based on respective society (Mkandawire, 2005). Secondly, indigenous and western educations aimed at preparing the youths on how to survival for the livelihood through employments opportunities such as farming activities. Both types of education systems possessed a belief in morality for the young generations to live an excellent life in the community (Mkandawire, 2005). Values such as honesty, hospitality diligence as well as generosity form basics of the two education structures which shaped the youths in the societies.
Differences
Despite traditional and western education system brought in by the missionaries having various similarities, the two possess differences based on multiple aspects. For instance, the traditional education focused on teaching the learners about the rituals, traditional medicines, customs and religion based on the specific community (Mkandawire, 2005). On the other hand, western education incorporated various subjects like mathematics, science, language skills and technology hence a significantly different to the Africans one (Shaw, 1998). On the same note, traditional education was focused on equipping the youth with survival knowledge as compared to the western one that focused on matching the whole world. Furthermore, western education has a well-organized organizational structure with hierarchy from lowest to the highest while traditional education lacked the schools hence lack of structural organization (Mkandawire, 2005). Nevertheless, traditional education had limited equality based on social status and gender, as most education was for the higher class in society and boys (Shaw, 1998). However, western education catered for all children without discrimination based on gender or social class.
Complementaries
The traditional and western education systems complement each other in various ways hence sharing different complementaries. For instance, the African education had varied lessons of the morals, values in which the western education brought by the missionaries continued to build on during teachings as seen in the modern institutions (Shaw, 1998). Furthermore, various concepts and ideologies from the educations systems resulted in modern forms of educations which possess characteristics of western and Africans education system like modes of teachings the learners.
References
Adeyemi, M. B., & Adeyinka, A. A. (2003). The principles and content of African traditional education. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 35(4), 425-440.
Mkandawire, S. B. (2005). Similarities and Differences between Indigenous African Education and Missionary-type-of-Education http. E. similarities% 20and% 20differences% 20between% African% 20Educatio, (20missionaries).
Shaw, K. (1998). Traditional society and modern teaching. Teacher Development, 2(2), 179-191. doi: 10.1080/13664539800200053
Jung, J.J. (2002). Traditional Education, Modern Educaion and Post-Modern Education. Jonrnal Of Social Thoughts And Culture, 6, 133. doi: 10.17207/jstc.2002.11.6.133