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A Model for Indigenizing the Basic Education Curricula for the Gamo Ethnic Group in Ethiopian Primary Schools

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A Model for Indigenizing the Basic Education Curricula for the Gamo Ethnic Group in Ethiopian Primary Schools A MODEL FOR INDIGENIZING THE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULA FOR THE GAMO ETHNIC GROUP IN ETHIOPIAN PRIMARY SCHOOLS by Yishak Degefu Mushere Submitted in accordance with the requirements of the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION in the subject Curriculum Studies at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA PROMOTER: Prof. Mishack T. Gumbo November 2013 DECLARATION Student number: 47016787 I declare that A model for indigenizing the basic education curricula for the Gamo ethnic group in Ethiopian primary schools is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. ________________________ _____________________ SIGNATURE DATE (Mr.) YISHAK DEGEFU MUSHERE i DEDICATION This research is dedicated to the fathers and forefathers to whom I am indebted, and who demonstrated vigilance in preserving the Gamo ethnic culture both in the rural and the city settings despite the onslaught from the dominant Amhara ethnic culture and the modern education system. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people and institutions are deserving of my gratitude for their support in finishing this work. First and foremost, I am highly indebted to and extend my heartfelt gratitude to my supervisor, Prof. Mishack T. Gumbo, for tirelessly encouraging and guiding me through this study. He will be remembered throughout my life as a role model and mentor worthy of emulation. I would like to thank my wife, Elsabet, and our three children, Samuel, Eyael and Ephratha, for their unending support and tolerance, without which the completion of this work would have been unthinkable. I would also like to thank all the persons who led me on my journey to prepare the proposal for this thesis through the San Trust Programme, specifically the professors from the College of Education who conducted a workshop on research. I will always cherish the time I spent with the academics from the different countries and professions on my study journey. A special note of appreciation and thanks goes to the South African Government and the University of South Africa for providing me with financial support, namely by covering the expenses of the San Trust Programme, with tuition fees and a research grant by means of the Postgraduate Bursary Programme. It will be unjust not to acknowledge the great contribution of the UNISA librarians both in Pretoria and Akaki, in providing neverending support by lending books, by dispatching important works from Pretoria which are not available at Akaki library, by conducting a literature search on my topic, and by periodically writing letters of support to the different libraries in the city of Addis Ababa. iii I will always remember the families of Ato Aemiro, Amare, Amsalu, Bizunesh, Engida, Ephrem, Ermias, Fasil, Genet, Hailu, Ketema, Lemma, Matewos, Melesse, Muhe, Obssa, Sisay, Samuel, Teferi, Tigist, Tilahun, Wossen, Yohannis and Zerihun, for their untiring prayers, and financial and moral support, especially Wro Tujare, Abinet, Yoseph, Henock, Birke, Endrias, and Hiywet. In a special way, I would like to extend my deep gratitude to the family of my beloved brother, Eyob, for their support during the time of my research, particularly during the week that I stayed with them while I collected my data in the Gamo Gofa Zone. The prayer, material and moral support of my parents Ato Degefu and Wro Dilbete is appreciable. A special word of thanks is extended to all the participants in the study who spent their precious time and energy to provide me with the necessary information, without which the research study could not have been completed. Finally, I feel indebted to thank the attendants of the home cell spiritual programme in my safar (residential neighbourhood) for their ever-enduring support in prayer. iv ABSTRACT African curricular reforms indicate major inherent structural defects because only the contents of the curriculum were changed. As a result, the Western cultural influences embedded in the curriculum foundations are transmitted to the students, causing the curricular material to be irrelevant and unrelated to their culture and philosophy. The focus of this study was on making the basic education curricula relevant to the socio- cultural and structural context of the Gamo ethnic group of Ethiopia. The main aim of the study was to critically analyse how the indigenization approach is conceptualized and reflected in the policies and curricula, and in the implementation of the curricula at basic education level since the adoption of the 1994 Education and Training Policy, and to produce a model suited to indigenizing the basic education curricula for the Gamo ethnic group. To this end, the study employed a critical perspective to investigate the problem. The approach and design consists of a qualitative multiple case study. The country‟s constitutions, policies and strategies were treated as one case, while two cases, one from the Gamo Gofa Zone and another from the Addis Ababa City Administration, were treated similarly, so as to study the basic education curriculum planning and implementation process. The findings of the field study disclosed that the indigenization from the ethnic group‟s perspective has some strength, but major deficiencies. In order to keep the strengths up and avoid the weaknesses, a stand-alone indigenization approach, which calls for rooting the curriculum on indigenous foundations, theories, principles and ideas derived from the culture, and a blending approach, which allows for intercultural dialogue, were suggested as feasible. The researcher believes that this approach is an alternative that could contribute towards ensuring the relevance of the basic education curriculum for the Gamo ethnic group. A model which will assist in materialising the curriculum indigenization from the Gamo ethnic group‟s perspective was suggested. The salient features of the constitutional, policy and strategy provisions were outdone by their favour for a standardization approach. They will have to be revisited, either in favour of indigenization, or the standardization thesis, since these paradigms are opposite poles. v ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS APA: Action on Podoconiosis Association CSA: The Central Statistical Agency EDRI: The Ethiopian Development Research Institute EPRDF: The Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front FDRE: The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia FSS: The Forum for Social Studies IFLA: The International Federation and Library Associations IFPRI: The International Food Policy Research Institute MOE: The Ministry of Education TGE: The Transitional Government of Ethiopia UNESCO: The United Nations Education and Science Commission UNFPA: The United Nations Population Fund vi LIST OF KEY TERMS Basic education, culturally-relevant pedagogy, enculturate, relevant education, relevant and functional curriculum, socio-cultural context, Gamo ethnic group, indigenizing the foundations, marginalised groups, cultural revalidation. GLOSSARY OF LOCAL TERMS Arera – skimmed milk drunk by the Gamo people, which became a source of insult Assera – a hand-woven cloth worn below the waist Besso – barley flour which is either used on its own, or by mixing it with borde Bitene – type of halaqa in some deres Borde – a traditional drink of the Gamo people brewed from wheat flour Bulaa – a food item extracted by squeezing the stem of enset Buluko – a hand-woven shawl made by the Gamo people, heavier than the gabi Buqurata – a Gamo term for traditional heritages Catressa – an armlet of rhinoceros horn, worn by individuals who own many cattle Debo – community work performed in a group by the Gamo people Demutsa – type of halaqa in some deres Derg – the military junta that ruled Ethiopia from 1974-1991 Dere – the Gamo community during the pre-conquest era, equivalent to a kingdom Ditsa – a traditional musical instrument of the Gamo people resembling the guitar vii Dunguza – colourful hand-woven material which specifically represents the Gamo culture Enset – the fruit of a tree, resembling the banana, used for preparing the staple food of the Gamo people Equb – a local saving scheme Ertsiban – a traditional self-help scheme used widely among the Gamo people Fetela – the staple food of the Gamo people made of maize flour Gabi – a heavy hand-woven shawl made by the Gamo people Gamotso dona – the vernacular language of the Gamo ethnic group Gebexa or hircho – a kind of traditional game, widely played by the Gamo people Gena play – a traditional game of hockey, played widely by the Amhara ethnic group Gimo – a bracelet made of rhinoceros horn, worn by individuals who own many cattle Gome – the transgression of a traditional rule, which is thought to lead to misfortune Gondale – the traditional shield of the Gamo people Gote – the administrative unit below kebele Guche – a mourning ceremony performed by the Gamo people in honour of a hero Halaqa – an initiation into the position of political leadership in dere Herra Sayinsi – Environmental Science Hororso – a ceremonial staff carried by individuals initiated to be halaqas Jigge – community work performed in groups by the Gamo people Kashka – the staple food of the Gamo people, widely eaten in Addis Ababa city viii Kawo – the ritual leader of deres in the Gamo ethnic group during the pre-conquest era Kebele – the administrative unit lower than woreda Kurkuffa – a kind of traditional food of the Gamo people Kuta – a lighter shawl, between the gabi and the netella Lazantse – the intermediary in wedding negotiations Mara – a kind of borde,
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