Some
current research topics in sub-Saharan Africa are testing tools to measure the
quality of early childhood programs, training programs to train early child
care staff, and keeping indigenous culture alive while implementing early
childhood programs.
I enjoyed
reading about how researchers are trying to keep alive traditional childrearing
ideas in Tanzania. They are doing this by collecting childrearing proverbs and
using these as a basis for part of their curriculum. They are looking at
proverbs from several cultures, but are seeing similarities in the proverbs
that would make them easier to use in programs with several cultures. Some
elders are a little disappointed with the present education system.
In this study it was evident that
the Sukuma elders still claim space for supporting
childhood care and upbringing but they feel a little
forgotten and a little hurt by the gleaming of modernity. On factors
contributing to changes in cultures, one elder said “Mbucha magala – n’hungwa
ja hanze” that is, the causes of the moral decays in our country are foreign
cultures that have invaded the country through the electric media. He likened
the government to the sharpener for allowing the importation of uncensored
entertainment materials. Many Sukuma elders blame school as a bad thing which
has come to divide children and parents by blocking communication between them.
“School or education in itself is not bad,” they said, “but we have
misinterpreted the whole concept” (in Kuleana, 1998, p. 39). “Um’hayo unonu
gukabyalaga ya bubi,” that is, “Even if something is good, if you misunderstand
the purpose of it, it can result in something bad.
I also
discovered that the Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU)
is a little like Walden, but it also has added elements like residential
seminars. I was impressed that the University was not in Africa but in Canada.
The university has many types of education to take a person interested in early
childhood at whatever stage of education the person is in. There are
certificates, master’s degrees, and graduate diploma programs.
Hi Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post as it takes me down the memory lane. Indeed Africans love speaking in proverbs and that's why Africa is sometimes referred to as a land of 'why'. We make stories from most things that happen around us; like Why cheetahs have spots, why lizards nod their heads, why the tortoise is a slow animal, why the lion is the king of the jungle, etc. Story-telling is a culture I enjoy so much in Africa. And I wonder how exactly the Tanzanians will incorporate this into their curriculum.
Toluwalope,
ReplyDeleteThanks for this personal insight that adds to my depth of understanding what they are trying to do with the curriculum over there! I think what they want to do is quite doable. They could make the elders a part of the curriculum as volunteer story tellers or even have their own resident elder at every school. There could also be authors that write children's books using the stories of the elders. I really identify with the elders when I think of my children going to a public school here and learning the secular culture instead of my own Catholic culture. They go to Catholic school, and I don't feel that public school is an option for them.
I can imagine that it is difficult to incorporate culture in the curriculum and when teaching early childhood staff because of the multiple indigenous groups but it is inspiring that culture is appreciated to the extent of incorporating it into early childhood programs as much as possible.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, I enjoyed reading your post. It was very informative and interesting to know that other countries are focused on "preparing their children for their world" and also "keeping some of the traditional childrearing ideas."
ReplyDeleteHi Elizabeth, I am seeing that all professionals who work in the field of early childhood want to see their children reach their full potential. Some may teach children differently than others but we all have the same common goal..figuring out what we can do to make the lives of young children better and ensuring that they all receive a quality education.
ReplyDeleteThis is great information. It is amazing how information of other sources can be incorporated in various areas to serve as resources for educational purposes. Great Post!!!
ReplyDeleteYou shared a lot of great information. I found it interesting that the elders feel that school was bad because it separates parents and children. Thanks for sharing the information that you gained.
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