PhD VIVA VOCE

Abstract:

This thesis investigated the educational significance of the Makonde indigenous socialisation system (MISS) through rites of passage and their potential for a modern school curriculum in Tanzania today. Specifically, study objectives were: firstly, to investigate the content and practices in the Makonde indigenous socialization system for the youths; secondly, to examine the manner in which the modern formal school curriculum departs from the principles and practices of the MISS; thirdly, to investigate the value and relevance of the MISS to the modern formal school curriculum (MFSS); and finally to explore the perceptions of the Makonde community on the potential opportunities and challenges of integrating the contents and practices of the two educational systems in Tanzania. The study adopted an interpretivist paradigm as its philosophical stance as well as the ethnographic research design that formed the framework within which the study was conducted. It involved a sample of 51 participants constituting three traditional village leaders; six Makonde traditional village elders; six Makonde traditional instructors [or Walombwa]; eighteen school committee members; ten parents or guardians and eight primary school teachers. Data were collected through interviews, focused group discussions, participant observations, and documentary review. The main findings revealed that the traditional content and practices in the MISS were relevant to their social and physical environments. Secondly, the modern formal school curriculum departed significantly from the principles and practices of the MISS (with the exception of moral and sex education and some few instructional methods). The divergence of the two education systems was partly influenced by colonial and post-colonial systems. Thirdly, the traditional content and practice were found to be of practical relevance and utility to the local people. Finally, the Makonde community perceived a number of potential opportunities and challenges of selectively integrating the contents and practices of the two education systems. The perceived challenges of integrating the two educational systems included people’s fear of displacing their traditional values and culture; fear of the traditional healers to come to the public domain; government resistance to accept the ‘old’ and the financial implications of taking on extra or else expanded curricular and teaching materials. On the basis of the findings, the study recommends a review of the curriculum based on either a combined or an adapted approach relevant to the needs and aspirations of the local people. Thus, a careful selection of content and practices from the two education systems is required. Furthermore, design and implementation of the formal school curriculum should adopt a participatory approach to involve indigenous social structures and systems. Finally, it recommends future research to be conducted on the appropriateness of the integration approaches highlighted in the current study. The need to re-orient the traditional experts and primary school teachers towards a newly integrated approach demands a future research on suitable modality for professionally orientating the traditional experts and primary school teachers in an attempt to harmonize the requirements of the two education systems.