The Village Education

The Village Education

By David Aoloch Bion

I love village education more than alphabet education
In my cerebrum,
It’s higher than mountains
In my vein,
It’s deeper than Oceans
It doesn’t requires literacy and numeracy skills

Only a grandma /grandpa – storyteller to sit with
Seeds around the fire in evening in wet season on mates
On skins in dry season
And narrates fairy stories, legends, fables,
Proverbs, songs, riddles, taboos,
Rituals and customs.

At night this oral literature
Pierces the mind with bitterness
As sixteen inch thorn pierces the foot.
At daytime
It penetrates out of mind with sweetness
As honey touch the tongue.

In this oral literature,
The thoughts and actions of animals
Is my torch at daytime?
In this oral education,
The thoughts and actions of elders
Is walking stick of my youth?

An ignorant child of village education
Is short
Shorter to himself / herself
Shortest to myself./others
An ignorant adult of his/ her culture
Is short
Shorter to himself/ herself,
Shortest to myself / others

About Post Author

PaanLuel Wël

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PaanLuel Wël is the founder and editor-in-chief of PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd, a news website that covers news, opinions, analysis, history, culture and literature of South Sudan and the world. Founded in July 2011 by PaanLuel Wël to create a platform for free expression and constructive dialogue, the website features articles from various contributors, including columnists, commentators, poets, authors, activists and academics. PaanLuel Wël believes that media can play a vital role in informing, educating and empowering the people to participate in nation-building and social transformation. He also believes that media can foster a culture of dialogue, tolerance and diversity among different communities and groups, and hopes to inspire and mentor the next generation of South Sudanese writers and journalists.

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