8 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INDIGENOUS EDUCATION AND WESTERN EDUCATION

1.PURPOSE

the missionaries and the colonial master who championed the course of western education were concerned mainly with training Nigerias to make their missionary and colonial assignments easier.In this wise the purpose of western education was to train clerk and interpreters to make them read and write in order to serve the missionary and colonial interest. On the other hand, indigenous education aims at making th recipient integrated and functional members of society.

2. EXAMINATION AND CERTIFICATION

Western Education involve writing formalized (written) examinations at various stages/level, while there are no formalized (written) examinations in indigenous education. In addition, certificates are issued at the completion of a course under the western education system, while no certificate is issued in indigenous education.

3. LANGUAGE OF INSTRUTIONS

the main language of instruction in western education in Nigeria is English language, while the native language is mainly used in the indigenous education.

4. METHOD OF INSTRUTIONS

instruction in western education is formalized. it involves the use of writing, reading and at times memorization. Indigenous educstion makes use of rote learning, without writing since it is informal education. Instruction in western education involve direct teaching by designated teachers as well as some pratical exprience. Instruction in indigenous education involve everybody in the community(elders,peers, parents,sibling etc) and it is done througt imitation, direct observation, role learning,and the use of stories, tale and taboos

5. ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT

Western education is formalized and handled by the formal institutions known as schools, while indigenous education is not formalizaed and it take place everywhere. schools have opening and closing time whereas indigenous education takes place anytime throughout the day. Instruction in western education is supervised by designated officials (inspectors) while everybody (peers, parents, siblings etc) supervise the operation of indigenous education. Specialized teachers handle given subject in the school curriculum while everybody in the communities is involved in the act of training in indigenous education. Everyone want the child to be sociable, honest,courageous,humble,persvering and of good character, moral traing is emphasized

6. COMMUNITY INTEGRATION

Western education encourages rural-urban migration. It alienates recipients from their community, erroneously described as uncivilized. For instance ,boarding school not only see themselves as superior to those who lived in villages and towns, they equally tend to shun and disregard their people's culture. On the other hand indigenous education integrates recipient to the society since it is not only socializing but it includes community development in its programme.

7. CURRICULUM

The curriclum of western education consisted of the 3Rs (reading, Writing, Arithmetic) and later gardening and music with other subject. On the other hand, the curriculum of indigenous education cover all aspect of learning(cognitive, affective and psychomotor).In addition the curriculum of western educatin is compartmentalized on subject basis and instruction was thus formalized, while there is no subject compartmentlization in indigenous education where instruction was informal, In other words the curriculum of indigenous education was integrated rather than bening cpmpartmentalizaed on sublect basis

8. EMPLOYMENT PROSPECT

Western education is characterized by unemployment of school leaves since many of them are interested in whitecollar jobs due to nature  of the education received. In indigenous education, there is no room for unemployment since it is preparing recipient for the world of work of work particularly through apprenticeship system. Entrepreneurship education is emphasize in indigenous education whereas recipient of western education preferred working in office thus unemplioyment of youths is rampant.