The ways of used to conduct pre-colonial African education

INTRODUCTION

Pre-colonial education this was education about tribe society they lived in even though they were not formal school or professional teacher, (Nyerere, 1967).

Pre-colonial education as the process of passing count of tribal members and from one generation to another the inherited knowledge, skills, cultural traditions, norms and values of the tribes. (Mushi, 2009)

Tribes in Mtwara regions were taught about traditional or cultural practices such as Jando and Unyago as among of the important part of pre-colonial education and they conducted education/ knowledge through traditional songs during Jando times for boys and Unyago for girls also through stories, dances and religion as well as to respect elders.

Pre-colonial education in Mtwara region was different from one tribe to another, especially in the ways and types of education learned or conducted. for example in Mtwara region there were different tribes such as Makonde, Makua and Yao, but both or all they engaged in education of pottery making but they were differentiated in their designing like decorations and names of the pots or commodities.

The ways of used to conduct pre-colonial African education

Learning by listening to elders, or emulating them; direct instruction; dos and don’ts Initiation rites and rituals were cultural devices used to inculcate the spirit of the community. Approaching adolescence children learn through myths, legends, folksongs and folktales, proverbs and dances preparing the child to adulthood

Through transmission, observation and imitation; Children observed and imitated their parents’ practical crafts and skills which performed according to their capacities. Group instruction, group assignments and age groupings to experience a particular significant event. Private instructions by sisters, brothers or one of the parents were also provided.

Through social ceremonies and initiation ceremonies; the latter is where a boy or girl was taken in seclusion after attaining puberty. The men were taught to work hard and provide for their families while the women were taught to care for their husbands, children and the entire family. It was during this time that men and women were taught to participate in adult activities fully (that is, fishing, hunting, housekeeping etcetera). (Kelly 1999). All these justifies that African children in pre-colonial period learnt what they lived

Through folk tales and stories were used not only to amuse and express feelings but to teach children: ideal forms of behavior; morality; inducting the youth into the moral, philosophical and cultural values of the community.

Strength of pre-colonial African education

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 1earns how to survive in life through experiences and instructions from the elders by adapting to the environment.

African children in pre-colonial period learnt what they lived as seen in the way their education system was organized. In terms of organization, Ocitti (1973) argued that in African pre-colonial education, the powers were limited to tribal social division family, lineage or village, clan, chiefdom. Organizations mainly describe the social relationships that existed, that are the rights and duties of husbands, wives and children. It also looks at whether a particular tribe is patrilineal or matrilineal that is children belong to the husband or matrilineal where descent is towards the mother’s side or family. The relation between relatives (for example mothers or father’s brother) was also seen to have special importance to a child’s growing up. This strongly strengthened learners to be oriented towards what they were doing.

In its content, pre-colonial education also included laws, moral principles obligation to ancestral spirits, to relatives and to others in groups or tribe. It is from these lessons that children would learn to respect elders as well as pay allegiance to the spirits if they wanted their days of their lives to be extended.

Pre-colonial education promote cultural heritage of the society. This is simply because in Mtwara region there different tribe that used pre-colonial education to promote cultural and traditional practices of Jando and Unyago for Makonde and Makua tribe that acted as among cultural heritage of such tribes.

Pre-colonial education provides good behavior to the people; for example in case of Jando and Unyago, the young boys and girls who selected to the Jando and Unyago were learned more about respecting others especially elders and every member of the society, so due to that pre-colonial education acted as the important tool for providing good behaviors to the young people.

Emphasis was much more concerned with instilling the accepted standards and beliefs governing correct behaviour. In addition, pre-colonial did not encourage competitiveness in intellectual and practical matters instead it created unity consensus among members of a particular society or tribe. Thus pre-colonial education was not only concerned with socialization of younger generation into norms, religion, moral beliefs and collective opinions of the wider society, it also laid a very strong emphasis on acquisition of knowledge which was useful to the individual and society as whole. (Kelly 1999).

African pre-colonial education was quite adequate in so far as it met the requirements of the society at the time (Ociti, 1973:105). And “like any good system of education, it had its objectives, scope and methods which clearly reflected the ways of life or cultural patterns of the clan or chiefdom” (p. 105). Traditional African systems of education were, and are still so effective

Weakness of pre-colonial African education

Pre-colonial education allowed only elders to teach young people;  this is simply because during that time only elders. For example in case of Jando for boys only elders were responsible to teach and direct young about adult life, same to young girls. Also girls were acted as a source of information, so due to fact that led to occurrence of weakness in some social information especially in norms like elders as final say in the society.

Pre-colonial education was lacked structural curriculum; this is true because every tribe in Mtwara were performed or conducted socio-economic activities in different time with other tribe. For example Makonde were conducted Jando and Unyago in December to the January while other place were conducted during June to July, also in pottery making both Mtwara tribe were differ in pottery technology. For example Makonde pots has ornament at the middle or at the neck of pots while other tribe like Makua and Yao did not contain such ornaments, so due to the fact that pre-colonial education in Mtwara was not structured  no structured curriculum

The accumulated knowledge and skills could not be preserved in written form. This simply because pre-colonial education in Mtwara was lacked proper methods of storing knowledge and relied on the memories of elders. Because it was not documented it was difficult to spread from one general to another. For example in Mtwara tribes it was difficult to describe, compare and estimate volume, weight and size of objects like pots that produced by Makonde, Yao, Makua and others due to lack of writers document.

The programs of teaching were restricted to a certain period in life of an individual, especially at the time of initiation. The education system did not have specific program for older people

Education policies and acts before the independence in Tanzania up to present 

The pre-colonial time was experienced with the use of informal education, the education that was provided informally, whereby there was no special curriculum or syllabus which ensured the systematic provision of the education. Again during the colonial period, the colonialist were not provided the education which are favourable to our environment again lacked the policies and Acts, since the colonial education aimed at creating the puppet people who will assist them in different activities. But after the independence in 1961 there are various policies and acts which were introduced in order to improve the education, some of those policies are;  

Universal primary education (1974); This education policy aimed to make primary education accessible to all Tanzanian children, hence in the beginning of the 1980’s. Tanzania has achieved its needs of having a primary school in each village, however this has increased the running cost through roots and quality of education started to suffer.

The cost sharing policy In 1980’s Tanzania suffered from decline in economic growth at the same time donor countries who supported the earliest development of schools in Tanzania by providing capital costs which leads to withdraw their support, hence government introduced the cost sharing so as to assist the continuation of the education due to availability of salaries to the teachers and availability of learning facilities example books.

The basic education master plan (BEMP); In implementing this policy, since a country faced with challenges in its education sector in terms of equitable access to high quality formal education less developed districts and regions were given priority and preference in opening up new secondary schools. This policy helps the country to maintain equal distribution of secondary schools in all regions or districts within the country.

Education for self reliance 1967; This education policy introduced by J. K. Nyerere in 1967 during Arusha declaration, the major object of this education policy, was to develop student’s critical thinking skills, and self confidence, also this education policy was introduced as J. K. Nyerere wanted his country to become independent in all aspects like economically or socially from other nations.

The activity movement of the 2000’s and the education policy of 2015; The aim of this education policy was to provide free education from primary and secondary schools. This policy started to be function from 2015 up to date under the government of President J. P. Magufuli, this policy also emphasize the use of Kiswahili in all level of education.

Progress of education after independence has increased the number of primary secondary as well as colleges and universities such as Utumishi.

CONCLUSION

Therefore the pre-colonial Africa had great influence to the people of pre-colonial Africa because; it was through the pre-colonial education that made the African people to cope in the different situations in their surrounded environment, like how to utilize the different resources available for the social and economic uses.

                                              

REFERENCES

Ocitti, J.P (1973). African indigenous education. Nairobi : East Africa Literature Bureau

Kelly, M.J. (1998). Origin and Development of Schools in Zambia , Lusaka : Image Publishers                              Limited.

Mushi, P (2009). History of Education in Tanzania; Dar Es Salaam: Dar es Salaam University                               press.

Nyerere, J.K. (1968). Ujamaa Essay on Socialism. Nairobi; Oxford University Press.