Ricarda Motschilnig

Indigenous Knowledge and Localised Curriculum in Zambia: ? the Road to Sustainable Development? Ricarda Motschilnig

What I have illustrated with this research is that the role of education and learning is not unproblematic. Western science and scientific knowledge is still holding a hegemonic position when looking at educational and developmental initiatives. Indigenous culture and indigenous knowledge were for a long time ignored from educational discourses and have been characterized as old-fashioned, not scientific and not relevant. However, increasingly there are calls that more attention should be paid to indigenous views. The Zambian government is now taking a step into this direction and integrated the new "Localized Curriculum" into the formal school curriculum. This thesis brought to light that the way education and learning is organized can have significant influence on persons and their lives in various ways. Knowledge, and specifically local knowledge, can be an essential tool in creating sustainable development, decreasing poverty and increasing self-respect. This book is aimed at students and persons working in the areas of education, anthropology and culture as well as at anybody who is interested in Africa and its culture.