FAMILY AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION A NIGERIAN PERSPECTIVE. Mary Oto Lijadu, Nigerian National Committee, OMEP lagos Chapter , Nigeria.

********** THE AFRICAN DREAM Development and learning are synonymous in the traditional African education. The high regard given to both are embedded in the cultural and educational values of African people. This education long realised and made use of the five senses of sight, touch, smell, taste and sound as God-given tools for learning and development. The family and the community have, and still play, very important roles in this traditional education.

opportunity to show the world that we are in control to build the Nigeria of our dreams - the Nigeria that will be built by all our sons and daughters, regardless of where they are born, regardless of whose children they happen to be, regardless of what opportunities (e.g. education) and privileges (e.g. wealth) they may have, or lack at birth. We pride ourselves as one of the greatest nations in Africa - the "Day of the African Child" should embody and enfold that pride. Then we may expect respect and honour. The African person has been carved into borrowed shapes and has become a fragmented personality made to accept alien standards and customs unrelated to his own reality, culture and traditions. He is almost always at the receiving end. "Day of the African Child" should address and challenge these attitudes. Future African children must be given a new outlook, palatable to them as Africans. They must see the positive and useful sides of what it is to be Africans. To determine and know that they too have a right to the good life - provided by our culture and traditions, which have attributes to mould us into an all round developed people. We must formulate agendas, draw up syllabi, programmes and projects that spell out our individual, communal and national needs for holistic growth.

The declaration of the day of the African child is laudable and significant in the history of modern Africa. What remains is to see its reality. Hence the suggestions I made on behalf of OMEP, lagos Chapter. Africa needs a forum to implement the objectives of the Day of the African Child, and to provide a resource institute centre (named Children of Africa), where for the first time, Africa is seen as an initiator. The institute will represent a wholesome vision of the great treasures of Africa from the point of view of African children as the future of our continent. Thus, this declaration represents for us OMEP members, a great challenge - a challenge also to our governments and to all African peoples, both as groups and as individuals. It is up to us Africans, this time to initiate, search for and evolve programmes and means of participating in our own unique African way, to bring about the realisation of the vision of the "Day of the African Child". The vision should ensure that our descendants will have a future that provides life (not infant mortality) prosperity not poverty, a just (and not unjust) society. Our children will be equipped with cognitive tools and the ability to transform the environment in which we live and move and are, into one where we make the best possible use of nature's gifts, both for our good and the good of nature. (A give and take). The African/Nigerian child is entitled to a good future. This is our chance, our

A write up in one of our local Lagos newspapers claims that; "Africa is the world's richest treasury of culture and traditions, because African people are the oldest race on earth", "the bulk of stories, myths, legends, values and traditions that carry African experiences and knowledge is stored in the human memory", -"the reason for this is that the creators and carriers of these rich traditions are rural and simple folks who do not know how to read and write - that what they know is transmitted through oral medium, by imitation and periodic reproduction in performance". -Thus a Mali story teller added "every old 'rural' person

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who dies today in Africa, is like a library set ablaze"

hopefully it would become a wonderland. Like the wise bird described in a Ghanaian proverb, who turned its beak back, to took to pick for the present what is best from ancient eyes. Then, steps forward on ahead, to meet the future undeterred. Yes our African children of today will be provided for, to meet the future.

Now our children are reading and writing, they must now record, document and store this vast knowledge in order to arrest this loss. Once stored in the archives of the "Day of the African Child Institute"

GHANAIAN PROVERB That bird is Wise Look. Its beak, back turned, Picks for the present What is best from Ancient eyes. Then steps forward , on ahead to meet the future undeterred. REALISING THE DREAM. The second part of this paper, is drawn from my experiences as one who has always reckoned with children and never lost any opportunity to associate, interact with and learn with and from them. The Nigerian family sees children as 'special gifts from God', as the 'essence or sap of life' and as 'clothing and adornment' (Omo laso aiye). Hence children are very endearing to the Nigerian family. The greatest ill-luck and shock for the Nigerian family is to be childless.

many African stories, tales and folklores and songs to realise the learning functions they serve. Professor Fafunwa, now Nigeria's Minister of Education, has defined education as 'the aggregate of all the processes by which a child or young adult develops the abilities, attitudes and other forms of behaviour which are of positive value to society in which he lives. That is to say, it is a process for transmitting culture in terms of continuity and growth and for disseminating knowledge to ensure social control or to guarantee national direction of the society or both'. (Most African stories relate to this statement).

From the Nigerian perspective - a family consists of not only Father, Mother, Children but includes a host of Aunts, Uncles, Grand-parents and even long standing friends described as the extended family.

The onus for story telling falls squarely on women, who from early times are associated with the informal education of their young children. Women as you know, have always stood for certain values such as bearing and nurturing new life, rendering needed services in the home and community. Nigerian women are very much part of these values. Mothers take up teaching as a natural gift. Every born child depends very much on mother caring, nurturing and loving as prerequisites for learning and developing. Mothers are seen as the carriers of culture.

Extended family life is still an African reality. Our culture embraces a strong family life based on a long existing tradition- which puts children and their caring as top priority. Family education based on our culture and tradition is another common trait among African nations. This clearly demonstrates the cultural unity. Informal education in Nigeria carries a significant importance: It is collective and social in nature, it is carried out gradually and progressively, it conforms to the successive stages of physical, emotional and mental development.

Between the ages of 2-4, socialisation becomes a highlight in the learning process. The foundation for moral behaviour is also laid during this period of trial and error. Mothers teach their children:

Story telling/listening to stories are highly motivating for the child's learning in the early years. One only has to listen to the

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correct ways of greeting superiors and elders, the acceptable way of greeting visitors, the traditional acceptable ways of sitting and standing.

to act. The open space is the child's ally he can run and walk about, climb trees, observe insects and birds, ride donkeys, dig holes throw stones into water and watch the ripples.

Story telling is used as lessons in character buildinq, becoming sociable children and 'the communities' does and don'ts. The family on the one hand transmits the cultural heritage, as appropriate, in daily life. Nigerian stories, folklore and songs can be regarded as the unwritten syllabus of traditional education.

The pre-school child with older brothers and sisters can watch and play with goats, hens, cats etc. and learn to mimic them. The village farms and markets feed the eyes with their colourful array of wares, vegetables and fruits. All these provide learning experiences about his environment and help to prepare him confidently for aduit life.

As a child, stories told by my mother, aunts and neighbours influenced my development and knowledge of the world in very picturesque and vivid ways and have provided a solid foundation for my further development. Till this day, story telling is very prominent in the daily timetable of activities in my Playgroup, because of my belief in its educational value. A book titled 'Stories My Mother Told Me' has added to my interest.

Next, and a very important part of Nigerian children's rural life are the many folk games, stories and songs related to nature (e.g. the sun, moon, rain, stars, trees and flowers). I find children especially the fives and under, very spontaneous. They can invent their own plays/stories and enjoy role playing. You will agree that children brought up in rural areas learn at first hand what many of our town children only read in books. I find them too, fearless and more able to cope with emotions more easily than the pampered town children. These rural children are very fortunate their environment supplies them with all the necessary tools for learning, in the most natural way.

I always cherish a story a Village Head once told me, when a British District Officer (in Colonial days) in charge of his area, came to announce through the town crier, that a school will soon be built, in the village where children will learn useful skills. 'Name some of these skills' asked the Village Head, 'Reading and writing' replied the District Officer. - 'Where will it take place?' - 'In classrooms' said the District Officer. The Village Head stamped his feet and said 'NO - Children cannot eat Reading and Writing, nor can they learn in a prison yard (school).' For him and his villagers, their children are to learn about living by hunting, farming, playing around and listening to tales of wisdom from elders. The District Officer went away shaking his head.

AN APPEAL I plead with Nigerian women in particular, with all the women of Africa, NOT to abandon the great values of traditional education, in the midst of the changes of today. Rather they should feel challenged to blend them into all the technological advances that present themselves as better ways of family life. The past and the present should be partners in progress. All children love to listen to stories, we must not break the togetherness shared by other and child during story telling.

To some degree, I agree with the Village Head. Nature's way of preparing a child for adult life is through play. Examples of nature's way abound in the villages and rural areas in Nigeria (Nigeria is predominantly an agricultural tropical country). In the rural areas the child is at par with nature. Here nature is the child's greatest friend for it is stable, dependable, adaptable and spurs the child

REFERENCES Cohen, S. & Rae. G. Growing up with Children. Eliason, C.F., Jenkins, L.T. A Practical Guide to Early Childhood Curriculum. 2nd Edition

Montessori, M. The Discovery of the Child. L1Jadu, M. Oto,. Poems In my Nursery School. Oto, M,

Oto, M.

The Nigerian Child - growing up Pains. Our Acttvitles, Children Love to .... UNESCO

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Learning to be.