Learning to be active citizens: lessons of traditional Africa for lifelong learning

The emphasis on lifelong learning is well placed given the rapidly changing pace of technological, social, economic and political realities of the modern world. This rapid change has led to globalization that now dictates the pace of almost everything else in the human community, including education.

This paper examines the concept of lifelong learning within the context of indigenous African pedagogy and how it is different from its present understanding. Through an examination of some practices and institutions, the paper argues that the concept of lifelong learning in traditional African societies was the foundation for active citizenship and indeed for becoming a revered ancestor.