HED4803
Assignment 2 2025
Unique #:707836
Due Date: 11 July 2025
Detailed solutions, explanations, workings
and references.
+27 81 278 3372
, INTRODUCTION
Adult and Community Education has played a central role in African societies, both
before and after colonisation. Before the arrival of colonial powers and missionaries,
indigenous African education systems were highly functional and community-based,
preparing both adults and children for active participation in social, cultural, and
economic life. These systems emphasised practical knowledge, skills, and values
rooted in African traditions. However, colonisation and apartheid disrupted these
systems, particularly limiting Black adults’ access to formal education. Post-1994, the
South African government introduced policies to restore dignity and opportunity
through Adult, Community, and Continuing Education and Training (ACET). This
assignment critically explores four key areas: the nature and function of pre-colonial
indigenous adult education; post-apartheid policies supporting ACET and their
outcomes; the role of Adult and Community Education and Training (ACET) colleges
in youth development; and the long-term impacts of apartheid-era exclusion from
adult education. The discussion will include examples, policy analysis, and practical
recommendations.
1.1 Indigenous Adult Education in Pre-Colonial Africa: Characteristics,
Functionality, and Societal Impact
Introduction
Before the onset of colonisation and the introduction of Western-style formal
education systems, African societies had well-developed indigenous education
systems that played an essential role in both child and adult development. These
systems were not only informal and communal but were also highly practical,
responsive to societal needs, and embedded in daily life. Adult education, in
particular, was aimed at equipping individuals with knowledge, skills, and values
necessary for survival, leadership, community building, and cultural preservation.
This essay critically discusses the key characteristics of indigenous adult education
in Africa before colonial influence and provides practical examples from South Africa,
Botswana, and Zimbabwe. The discussion also explores how these systems
functioned within adult education settings and contributed to the building of cohesive
and sustainable communities.
Varsity Cube 2025 +27 81 278 3372
, Key Characteristics of Indigenous Education
Indigenous education in pre-colonial Africa was communal, holistic, lifelong, and
practical. It was not separated from the social, cultural, and economic activities of the
community but integrated into them. Adults learned through observation,
participation, and oral transmission of knowledge by elders, artisans, and traditional
leaders. Unlike Western education, which tends to prioritise abstract reasoning and
individualism, indigenous education prioritised practical experience, collective
responsibility, and moral development (Ocitti, 1994).
One of the central characteristics of indigenous education was its functionality.
Knowledge imparted to adults was not theoretical but aimed at preparing individuals
for roles in society, such as farming, hunting, governance, health care, and spiritual
leadership. The content of education was shaped by the needs of the community,
and adults were trained to fulfill communal responsibilities and uphold cultural norms
(Fafunwa, 1991).
The Role of Adult Education Settings
Adult education was not restricted to specific buildings or institutions but occurred in
everyday settings such as homes, farms, initiation schools, and communal spaces.
In South Africa, for example, adult men were trained through initiation rites like
ulwaluko among the Xhosa or lebollo among the Sotho, which prepared them for
adult responsibilities, marriage, leadership, and warfare (Prinsloo, 2007). Women
received training in homes and through bogwera (initiation schools for women) on
child-rearing, home management, and community ethics. These settings were not
only educational but served as mechanisms of social cohesion, where shared values
and community identity were reinforced.
In Botswana, similar traditional practices were present, where the bogwera and
bojale initiation systems equipped both men and women with social, economic, and
spiritual knowledge to participate fully in adult life (Tabulawa, 2003). Likewise, in
Zimbabwe, the nhaka system involved elders teaching youths about land
inheritance, farming, and spiritual responsibilities, ensuring continuity and community
resilience (Shizha & Abdi, 2009).
Varsity Cube 2025 +27 81 278 3372
Assignment 2 2025
Unique #:707836
Due Date: 11 July 2025
Detailed solutions, explanations, workings
and references.
+27 81 278 3372
, INTRODUCTION
Adult and Community Education has played a central role in African societies, both
before and after colonisation. Before the arrival of colonial powers and missionaries,
indigenous African education systems were highly functional and community-based,
preparing both adults and children for active participation in social, cultural, and
economic life. These systems emphasised practical knowledge, skills, and values
rooted in African traditions. However, colonisation and apartheid disrupted these
systems, particularly limiting Black adults’ access to formal education. Post-1994, the
South African government introduced policies to restore dignity and opportunity
through Adult, Community, and Continuing Education and Training (ACET). This
assignment critically explores four key areas: the nature and function of pre-colonial
indigenous adult education; post-apartheid policies supporting ACET and their
outcomes; the role of Adult and Community Education and Training (ACET) colleges
in youth development; and the long-term impacts of apartheid-era exclusion from
adult education. The discussion will include examples, policy analysis, and practical
recommendations.
1.1 Indigenous Adult Education in Pre-Colonial Africa: Characteristics,
Functionality, and Societal Impact
Introduction
Before the onset of colonisation and the introduction of Western-style formal
education systems, African societies had well-developed indigenous education
systems that played an essential role in both child and adult development. These
systems were not only informal and communal but were also highly practical,
responsive to societal needs, and embedded in daily life. Adult education, in
particular, was aimed at equipping individuals with knowledge, skills, and values
necessary for survival, leadership, community building, and cultural preservation.
This essay critically discusses the key characteristics of indigenous adult education
in Africa before colonial influence and provides practical examples from South Africa,
Botswana, and Zimbabwe. The discussion also explores how these systems
functioned within adult education settings and contributed to the building of cohesive
and sustainable communities.
Varsity Cube 2025 +27 81 278 3372
, Key Characteristics of Indigenous Education
Indigenous education in pre-colonial Africa was communal, holistic, lifelong, and
practical. It was not separated from the social, cultural, and economic activities of the
community but integrated into them. Adults learned through observation,
participation, and oral transmission of knowledge by elders, artisans, and traditional
leaders. Unlike Western education, which tends to prioritise abstract reasoning and
individualism, indigenous education prioritised practical experience, collective
responsibility, and moral development (Ocitti, 1994).
One of the central characteristics of indigenous education was its functionality.
Knowledge imparted to adults was not theoretical but aimed at preparing individuals
for roles in society, such as farming, hunting, governance, health care, and spiritual
leadership. The content of education was shaped by the needs of the community,
and adults were trained to fulfill communal responsibilities and uphold cultural norms
(Fafunwa, 1991).
The Role of Adult Education Settings
Adult education was not restricted to specific buildings or institutions but occurred in
everyday settings such as homes, farms, initiation schools, and communal spaces.
In South Africa, for example, adult men were trained through initiation rites like
ulwaluko among the Xhosa or lebollo among the Sotho, which prepared them for
adult responsibilities, marriage, leadership, and warfare (Prinsloo, 2007). Women
received training in homes and through bogwera (initiation schools for women) on
child-rearing, home management, and community ethics. These settings were not
only educational but served as mechanisms of social cohesion, where shared values
and community identity were reinforced.
In Botswana, similar traditional practices were present, where the bogwera and
bojale initiation systems equipped both men and women with social, economic, and
spiritual knowledge to participate fully in adult life (Tabulawa, 2003). Likewise, in
Zimbabwe, the nhaka system involved elders teaching youths about land
inheritance, farming, and spiritual responsibilities, ensuring continuity and community
resilience (Shizha & Abdi, 2009).
Varsity Cube 2025 +27 81 278 3372
