Traditional Educational Institutions in Child Education in Sierra Leone

INTRODUCTION

Sierra Leone is bounded at the north-west, north and north-east via the Republic Guinea, on the south-east via the Republic of Liberia and on south-west with the aid of the Atlantic Ocean. It has a place of 27,925 square miles. The colony of Sierra Leone originated within the sale and cession in 1787 by means of local chiefs to English settlers of a piece of land intended as a home for African settlers who were waifs in London and later it changed into used as a settlement for freed African slaves. The hinterland changed into declared a British Protectorate on 21st August, 1896. Sierra Leone attained independence on 27th April, 1961 and have become a Republic in 1971. Education is supplied by means of both private and nation-sponsored faculties. The modern-day device of schooling is 6-three-4-four (that is six years Primary school, 3 years Junior Secondary School, four years Senior Secondary School and four years tertiary/higher schooling. This device is complemented by using non- formal schooling.

CONCEPT OF EDUCATION

Education is frequently used inside the sense of training inside the school room, laboratory, workshop or home technological know-how room and is composed mainly inside the supplying by way of the instructor, and the acquisition with the aid of pupils, of statistics and intellectual as well as manual abilities. A wider which means than preparation is that of education. That is to mention all that is going on within the school as a part of the pupil's life there. It includes, among different matters, dating among pupils and instructors, students and pupils both in and outdoor the college. J. S. Mill (1931) opined that some thing enables to shape the person; to make the man or woman what he's or avoid him from being what he is not is a part of his training. Implicitly education is lifelong and ubiquitous; it is the sum overall of all impacts which visit make someone what he is, from start to dying. It consists of the home, our neighbors, and the road among others.

Education is to some extent a planned planned system devised and carried out with the aid of the educator with the cause of imbuing the learner with sure records, competencies, of mind and body in addition to modes of conduct considered suited. In element it is the learner's own response to the surroundings in which he lives. Education has 3 focal points: the character/person upon whom the educator's affects are brought to undergo; the society or network to which he belongs; and the complete context of truth within which the man or woman and society play their component. Man is a social creature; he grows as someone through the effect of personality on character; and even for his fundamental physical wishes he depends on the assist and cooperation of his fellow men and women. Without society and the mutual help and enrichment of reports which it gives civilization is impossible and the life of guy, in Hobbes' phrases, is "solitary, bad, nasty, brutish and short."

One of the fundamental facts of human lifestyles is the anxiety between the pull of the past and the ahead urge into the destiny, between balance and alternate, culture and innovation. For powerful dwelling,guy desires a circle of security, a place of mounted behavior and dating which paperwork reliable relationships. This is also real of society. For its effective functioning there must be an underlying continuity of traditions and outlook which preserves its identity as a society and safeguards it towards the disruptive results of trade. Change need to be for lifestyles and not static but this transformation in flip must be controlled by the simple traditions of society. It is tradition which offers a country its man or woman and area of expertise as a society. The conservation of way of life therefore is glaringly important.

It has been diagnosed from time immemorial that the conservation of traditional training has a essential part to play in the development of the child. The kids of today are the adults of the next day; they ought to be trained therefore, to inherit and perpetuate the beliefs and modes of lifestyles ordinary to the unique society to which they belong. For every society has the choice to maintain itself not simplest physically however as community consciously sharing sure targets, beliefs and styles of conduct. This kind of training is not always formal in colleges with the aid of school room preparation however that effected indirectly through the circle of relatives and through the effect at the individual of social impacts and customs which the kid can't evade. In Sierra Leone this social schooling blanketed tricky ceremonies of initiation involving feats of endurance in which younger women and men have to prove themselves worthy of the network. The last purpose become to provide an person who was honest, respectful, professional, cooperative, and who may want to agree to the social order of the day. As Aristotle as soon as said "the charter of a kingdom will go through if education is not noted. The citizens of a country ought to always be educated to healthy the charter of the country. The type of individual suitable to a charter is the power which keeps to maintain it as it is also the kingdom force which at first created it" (p. I).

TRADITIONAL EDUCATION IN SOCIETY

Traditional schooling has both a innovative and conservation function in society; it is a powerful approach of keeping a society's customs, if now not lifestyle. In the beyond the nature and needs of society played a essential part in figuring out the nature of education. Professor M.V.C. Jeffreys (1950) once wrote in his e-book, Glaucon, that "in a tranquil society the academic system will have a tendency to mirror the social pattern, whilst social uneasiness and instability create possibility for the use of training as an tool of social change"(p.7). A comparable view changed into shared through John Dewey (1897) who opined that through education society can formulate its very own purposes, can arrange its personal approach and assets and therefore save itself with definiteness and economy inside the direction in which it wishes to transport. Education seems each to the beyond and the future; inevitably it displays the traditions and person of society. Traditional education may be used to put together for changes in society and count on and prevent changes or the consequences of changes in society.

Traditional education conserves and arms on the customs and methods of existence which constitute the character of a society and keeps its solidarity. It additionally helps society to interpret its features in new ways to meet the demanding situations of change, in search of approaches or strains of development which might be regular with the traditions and customs and could on the equal time enhance society to a extra complete achievement of itself.

TRADITIONAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN SIERRA LEONE

History well-knownshows that there had been no formal colleges wherein youngsters were knowledgeable in Pre-colonial Sierra Leone. The Poro and Bondo/Sande Secret Societies had been looked upon as institutions to teach kids. They had been bush schools. And the education these bush faculties furnished was informal. Children who went through these secret societies were taken into consideration able to carrying out their civic obligations. They have become adults and may marry and begin life. They taken into consideration themselves as one own family. In different phrases both Secret Societies created a experience of comradeship and harmony amongst contributors irrespective of circle of relatives, clan or ethnic association. It changed into consequently considered that children who had now not gone thru those mystery societies have been now not fully matured.

The Poro Secret Society is for boys. The religious head of the Poro Society is Pa Gbonu, visible simplest with the aid of the older graduates or individuals. The physical heads are the Pa Sama Yorgbors and Pa Somanos. They direct the sports of the institution. The senior teachers are the Pa Kashis, who commonly educate and give instructions to other initiators. The Pa Manchiyas function instructors to the initiates while the Kachemas are the scaring spirits. They scare the ladies and kids alike collectively with the brand new initiates. The Rakas are the errand boys sporting messages round. The Yambas are the head boys. The Bomos are the senior prefects at the same time as the Sayboms are the prefects; and the video display units are the Gbanaboms. Informal instructions are held in the Secret Poro Bush. The subjects taught encompass Creative Practical Arts, Performing Arts, Practical Agriculture, Medicine i.E. Use of neighborhood herbs for the remedy of different ailments), war and other abilities. In Creative Practical Arts initiates are taught how to make fishing nets, baskets, mats, and carving timber and soap stones into unique objects such as animals and human beings; in Performing Arts initiates are taught making a song, dancing and the use of Poro musical units. In Practical Agriculture initiates practice farming. Boys are taught to undergo hardship with out grievance and develop conversant in it. Thus they're taken to the farms of their instructors and elders to paintings on seasoned bono basis. However at some stage in the harvest season initiates may want to bypass thru those farms taking something they need and eat without being questioned by using farm proprietors. Initiates are taught to appreciate elders and use of guns to kill animals. In a similar vein initiates are taught how to use weapons in preventing in defense of their communities. Other capabilities initiates are taught consist of making fish traps, fishing and searching net, and basketry. In using herbs initiates pay money (a few freely given) for recuperation diverse illnesses in addition to for safety towards enemies, evil spirits and snake bites. Initiates who need to cause damage to others the usage of herbs may want to 'redeem' the herb/medication concerned. Over all initiates are taught a brand new Language spoken only by way of participants known as Ke Sornor. For example fonka trika that means I am speaking to you; fonka bonomi which means Talk to me. The use of this new Language makes graduates very proud and sense distinct from non-initiates. Graduates come out with new names together with Lamp, Langba and Kolerr. A commencement ceremony climaxes the event.

Parents make huge arrangements such as sewing dresses for the graduates. To mark the graduation rite there's feasting, drinking, dancing and making a song praise songs for the graduates and their parents. Those qualified for initiation need to have been circumcised and grown to age of puberty. They need to stay on their very own all through the length of education which levels from one to seven years. Graduates are fully admitted to the general Poro society through every other rite known as Enkorie, which lasts for four days.

The Bondo/Sande Society is the organization where girls are educated for womanhood. Its religious head is Na Bondigba. The Na Gboyamas and Na Wulus are the bodily heads. These have spiritual powers used to foretell the future and capture witches. They are the senior teachers. The Na Sokos are the carrier teachers. They can initiate women even as much as the superior degree of the Society. The Digbas are the general teachers and live close to the initiates. The Sampas are the skillful dancers and errand women/girls. They make bulletins approximately the progress and sports or applications in the course of the commencement rite.

The Na Fets, because the name implies do not know all the secrecy of the organization. They carry the institutional implements and regalia. The Karr Ayeamus are the 'waiters' to be initiated into the better popularity of the organization. Girls admitted to the Bondo/Sande Society are trained informally. Classes are held at Kantha or sacred domestic. The teachers are largely involved with the transmission to these adolescent girls the abilties and information which adult girls are predicted to possess if you want to feature nicely and intelligently in their community. The subjects ladies are taught consist of Cooking, Performing Arts, Fishing, Husband and Child Care, and Home Management. In Cooking ladies are taught the way to put together meals via statement and participation inside the preparation of various dishes and are later allowed to have a go along with little or no supervision. Those who could not cook nicely are allowed to copy. In Performing Arts girls are taught the way to compose and sing songs and a way to beat the Bondo/Sande drums (sambories). Alongside singing ladies are taught how to dance and those who dance nicely may additionally be a part of the hierarchy of the Sampas. Girls are also taught how to fishing, make fishing nets, fishing baskets, snoozing mats from bamboo and palm leaves. Further girls are taught a way to assist their potential husbands and how to attend to children especially those of senior members. Like the Poro Society graduation ceremonies are marked by huge preparations. Both mother and father and potential husbands might purchase new attire, slippers, perfumes, powder, and beads to make neck laces. On the day of the graduation rite the new initiates are arrayed in white with coronets. They come out with new names which include Burah, Yeanor, Rukor and Yainkain. This demonstrates a signal of adulthood. Initiating women into Bondo/Sande society lasts among a few months and three years.

CHALLENGES

If training has the crucial function of perpetuating the traditions and values of society, of adapting them to a converting surroundings, and of raising them to richer and extra fruitful expression then both the Poro and Bondo/Sande Secret Societies, as conventional sellers of this process should experience a function of the very best esteem. Through those mystery societies the state's subculture flows from one generation to the opposite and the aspirations of society are targeted with intimate and telling persuasion upon the younger. They stand at a factor where the energies of kids are released into new and creative opportunities. Through those mystery societies kids take into account the past activities of their predecessors. They assist in behavioral education patterns of society. These societies are establishments of thought and each politicians and chiefs use them to gain. That is to either advantage or maintain strength. Major and binding decisions are taken in the Poro Bush of which handiest participants are allowed to wait and participate. The Poro Secret Society acts as a take a look at towards the abuse of electricity. In disaster ridden conditions most important choice are taken inside the Poro Bush. The Poro society even acts as arbitrator in chiefdom disputes and will promulgate preferred legal guidelines and regulate trading practices. It is also concerned in the burial of chiefs and other critical nearby officers (Alie, 1990).

Western training has existed inside the u . S . For long and is now so crucial a part of the civilized life that there may be a bent to count on that it's miles the main or sole way of presenting abilities, expertise and social values in kids. This isn't the case in Sierra Leone. The significance of the Poro and Bondo traditional mystery societies can't be over-sighted because of their huge potentiality in educating kids for lifestyles in society. Fundamental is that admire for individuals as persons is the premise of conventional society. Linked with this is courtesy, sensitivity to the desires of others, cooperativeness, self-control, ethical and bodily braveness, difficult paintings and excessive standards of success. These are surpassed on to children within the surroundings wherein they are part of their day by day reviews. Notwithstanding, these traditional establishments as dealers of training are presently faced with many challenges there-by forcing their dying. The exercise of woman genital circumcision is of international difficulty and in Sierra Leone human beings are agitating for its overall ban. Currently ladies are allowed to be circumcised at age eighteen during which period a toddler is perceived to be matured sufficient to pick out whether or not or now not to be initiated into the Bondo/Sande secret society. In addition the duration of initiation is perceived too long and is being challenged. Besides youngsters in recent times not ought to be initiated into these societies to gain knowledge of the way to be easy, cook, rear children, practice agriculture, and inculcate morals and virtues to cite some examples. All those will be learnt both in or outdoor formal training via studying. What is greater Religion, specially Christianity and Islam, western lifestyles, as well as rural-urban migration are forcing those secret societies to obliteration.

Besides the sports and work of those traditional societies are not in curriculum form and documented. Neither also is the usage of herbs documented. Therefore by means of discontinuing these traditional mystery societies Sierra Leoneans stand to lose their cultural history. If however, schooling has the vital feature of perpetuating the traditions and values of society, of adapting them to a changing environment, and of elevating them to a richer and more fruitful expression then these traditional secret societies, as retailers of this method should enjoy a role of the best esteem. Through these societies the countrywide subculture flows from one technology to another and the aspirations of society are focused with intimate and telling persuasion upon the younger. These secret societies stand at the point in which the energies of children are released into new and innovative opportunities.