Promoting an endogenous approach to education at the local community level

Abstract

A major postulate of this paper is that education is a subordinate component in a larger system of societies’ development. This means that any educational policy for any country should stem from a long‐term strategy to support this aim. The main focus of the study that this paper is based on is to develop a theoretical framework that identifies an educational model which would support endogenous development at the local community level. This framework is ‘indigenous community‐based education’. It is analysed in terms of its indigenous features and sharing applications, with reference to actual experiences of communities who have undertaken this type of programme.

Notes

1. IK features prominently in almost all areas of human endeavour, including, for example, agriculture, settlement planning, architecture, trade and commerce, savings and credit, transportation, health and diseases, education and training, natural resources, politics, public administration and law, gender analysis, facilitating participatory approaches to development, soil and water management, vegetation, climate, crop‐pests, veterinary, farming and livestock systems, land uses, forestry, anthropology, geography, sociology, linguistics, botany, fisheries, natural resources management, socio‐economic and physical development (Wahab, 1996).

2. A group of related native people who have inhabited the Quebec–Labrador peninsula in Canada.

3. This concept was initiated by Henry Morris in the 1920s to include vital activities in English village life, bringing them all together, and creating a new community institution (Morris, 1925). See also Morris (1984).

4. It is to be noted that this model does not refer to age differences within the childhood stage, and that there is difference in cognitive ability and needs for children between five and twelve.

5. E.g. ‘Apollo School’ and ‘De Evenaar School’ in Amsterdam, designed by Herman Hertzberger in the 1980s.

6. University of Brighton, Department of Architecture.

7. Beauclerk et al. (1988), Corson (1999), May (1999), Stairs (1994) and Daigle (1997).

8. Literally meaning Teacher Leaders.

9. A traditional storytelling form in the snow or mud using knife and specific symbols to represent various characters.