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Jake Anthony Jagos

s11095044
Assignment #2: School Culture & Indigenous Cultures
ED 451: Culture and Education
06 August 2016

Introduction
There is so much that education can contribute to the survival of small cultures. This
was a strong message stressed out by Bob and Jennie Teasdale in their introduction to
the book, Voices in a Seashell. They believe that, Modern technologies and mass
communications are enabling the rapid spread of western culture with its emphasis on
individualism, competitiveness, and consumerism (Teasdale & Teasdale, 1992). The
result, according to Dr Colin Power, is cultural dilution and eventual destruction of
indigenous cultures. This spread of western culture is also evident in the school
curriculum most pacific nations employ in their schools nowadays. These western
inspired curriculum has replaced the indigenous way of educating the young in order
to pave way for political and economic agenda an idea that was pointed out with
subtlety by Sir Geoffrey A. Henry in chapter one of the book, Voices in a Seashell. A
careful look therefore at the similarities and differences of school today and the
indigenous cultures might be helpful in pointing out what needs to be changed in the
curriculum that we in our schools have today.
Aims and Content of Education
The indigenous cultures had a different perception about educating the young ones
compared to the schools of today. In the traditional Tuvalu society for example, the
people focused their energies on teaching their customs and traditions for they were
believed to contain the knowledge of the ancestors. Their ancestors taught them that
their customs and traditions will lead them to a life of happiness (Taafaki, 1983).
In most indigenous cultures, people learned to work not for individual needs but for
the betterment of the community. In the traditional Tuvalu society, their tao aliki who
was second in command to the aliki (their leader), ensured that the lands and food
were properly distributed. He instructed the people to do communal works and fishing
expeditions. He also assigned every family or sologa a particular task or pologa which
was to become knowledgeable and skilful in the area of work assigned to them. Some
families focused on farming and fishing. Some others focused on building canoes and
houses. Some focused on healing and some others on entertainment (Taafaki, 1983).
This is so much different to our education today which, according to Dr Konai Thaman,
is seen as the place where things foreign are taught. Culture is still a great part of
the curriculum, but a unfortunately a foreign one because it is influenced by
western, value-free, skill-oriented, educational principles (Thaman, 1992). This is
mainly because of globalisation and the standardisation of life here on Earth. Students
are expected to be competitive and able to meet the demands of the global market.
Hence, school today is seen as a ticket to achieve individual goals which are usually
self-centred very much different to the communal life of the traditional societies.

Teaching & Learning Methodologies and the Role of Teachers


Teaching and learning was very different before. The parents were expected to hand
down their knowledge orally. Thaman, in her paper, extensively described how her
aunties and relatives carefully passed on to her the knowledge and values of the
Tongan Culture (Thaman, 1992). She learned about fishes, collecting shellfish and
firewood, tapa making, traditional medicine, and many more. Unfortunately, according
to Thaman, many of our children today especially those who live in urbanised
environments, no longer have the opportunities she had when she was growing up.
School takes up most of the time and there is little chance of kids being able to spend
time with their parents or their relatives to talk about their values and culture.
Because of globalisation, schools today prepare their students for the demands of the
global market. Teaching and learning therefore has become competitive and centred
on achieving individual goals. It has also become teacher-guided and book-centred.
Students today rely so much on the teacher and on the books and computers available
to learn the western scientific way of inquiry as opposed to the more practical yet
engaging learning by experience of the indigenous societies (Thaman, 2009).
Teachers before (who were the elders and the parents) were considered experts or
faiako (in Tonga) of what they taught (Thaman, 2009). Indeed, they were. They need
not be confused of anything as they were handing down the very knowledge and
values of their very own culture. This is, however, not the case for teachers today. The
expectations are very high. Teachers need to be knowledgeable of the subject matter
(which is mostly western) and knowledgeable as well in addressing the diversity in the
classroom. Teachers need to know how to deal well with students who come from
different backgrounds, and the ones who are considered good teachers are those
who are able to engage the students. Contextualisation plays a big role in student
engagement, so teachers are really expected to make lessons relatable.
Assessment of Learning
Assessment of learning before in the traditional societies was very practical. It was a
lot easier on the part of the elders / parents because they only need to check on how
well the child has observed the ways of their culture through how they perform or
participate in their daily communal activities.
In schools today, students are tested using different assessment strategies, and they
are mostly designed to test on ones knowledge and skills of the subject matter. Most
of the times the results to these assessments are equated into numbers or labels that
may be disheartening as these can never really describe in all fairness the totality of
the child.
Integration of Indigenous Elements in my Work
Since I am an English teacher, I have thought about compiling a literary folio this year
which will contain short stories, poems, essays, and visual texts that were created by
my very own Niue students. Since these were written based on personal experiences,
they contain cultural values and knowledge in them. I want to compile them into a
folio and reproduce them in response to the need for culturally relevant and
contextualised texts to use for teaching in the classroom. I plan to choose the best
ones and edit them to meet publishing requirements.

I am also planning to be more culture-centred especially next year by redesigning my


lesson plans and assessments. Im planning to introduce local texts next year for
analysis, and to create assessment tasks that involve cultural values, knowledge, and
skills. I have already actually started this year. I made my students present a play that
they have adapted into Niue setting. My year 12 students wrote songs about life in
Niue, among others.

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