It was a kind of informal education in which all the members of the community were involved. Generally, the youth learn by imitating the ways of life and activities of the elderly members of the society. For example, the young boys learnt the art of farming by following their fathers and other male elders to the farm and watching how these leaders cleared the land, planted, nurtured and harvested the crops. Later the young ones participated in these activities.
Similarly, the girls learnt domestic work by watching and imitating how their mothers and other female elders in the community carried out their domestic chores; for example, how mothers took care of babies and children-bathing and feeding the baby, putting him on her back and rocking him to …show more content…
It is a rigid system in the sense that it is not easily adapted to change. The same body of experience and knowledge is’ passed on from generation to generation without critical appraisal. 2. The training is unquestionable. Children can neither discuss nor argue about anything but have to accept whatever the elders say without question. 3. Too much secrecy surrounds the contents of traditional education. Knowledge is by no means held in common, and knowledge, like the curing ,of a disease which could be of benefit to the whole community, may be jealously guarded. 4. The system instills fear in the children because they are threatened with dangerous repercussion should they violate any of the underlying custom. 5. The vocational training is time-wasting Le it takes unnecessarily too long a time to learn a particular trade like drumming and dyeing. 6. Technical or technological change is not likely to develop quickly. 7. It tends to be a closed system. It is anti-scientific i.e anything novel is mysterious, either to be feared or worshipped. Scientific innovations, machines etc. are viewed with admiration and awe.
Perspectives on the History of Education in Nigeria,