Indigenous Knowledge of Childhood Education among Konso, South West Ethiopia

Abstract

The Konso are Cushitic language speaking communities of southwestern Ethiopia with distinct Indigenous knowledge of what they know and do, and what they have known and done for generations. Like other indigenous communities in this world, they have unique culture and way of life. The overall objective of this study understands the indigenous knowledge of childhood education among Konso which have the following specific objectives. Understanding the basic indigenous knowledge of children’s among Konso, understanding the basic institutions of childhood education among Konso, understanding the mechanisms of learning indigenous knowledge of childhood education in the study area and finally understanding the challenges that indigenous childhood education faces. The research applied qualitative research approach and ethnography as its enquiry mechanism. Primary data was collected by different ethnographic methods like key informant interview, focused group discussion and observation. The key informants are selected by purposive sampling technique from the Two Konso topographic areas of Karatte and Kenna and the data is analyzed by thematic interpretation with data triangulation technique. The findings of the study reveal that children’s among Konso acquire indigenous knowledge in two basic institutions i.e. Moora institution and Family institutions. As their teaching mechanisms, the families also the elders at Moora teach them in the form of poem and the other through observing different activities in and out of home. The highest challenge for ingenuous knowledge of childhood education among Konso is modern education, religious institution and westernization. Finally, the researchers recommend that ingenuous knowledge is a heritage for human society therefore it should be protected and kept away from diaper. Therefore, the responsibility is for all the communities, academicians culture and tourism bureau to work in cooperation to protect them.