The United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has advised African nations to adopt an ‘education through culture’ approach in their educational system.
This, the organisation, said will help to integrate cultural values, traditions, and perspectives into the educational process and help students develop a broader understanding of the world.
The organisation made this call through its Institute for African culture and International Understanding (IACIU) during the maiden edition of its “Education Through Culture Project” which took place at the premises of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.
Director of the institute, Professor Peter Okebukola, described the education through culture initiative as a dynamic and essential aspect of learning that integrates cultural values, traditions, and perspectives into the educational process.
According to the former chairman of the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC),
educating the African students through the African culture will enable the students to learn better and faster, understand and feel closely knitted to their roots and understand and respect other cultures in the continent.
Okebukola also noted that the initiative recognises the imperativeness of cultural diversity, adding that this will enable students to develop a wider understanding of the world.
He said: “The Education Through Culture project is a dynamic and essential aspect of learning that integrates cultural values, traditions, and perspectives into the educational process.”
He stated that the organisation recognises the significance of cultural diversity, which fosters inclusivity, and helps students develop a broader understanding of the world, adding that this approach will not only enrich education but will also cultivate a deeper sense of identity, tolerance, and empathy.
Okebukola stressed that understanding different cultures is “essential for effective communication and collaboration, and will make individuals more competitive and adaptable in a multicultural environment.”
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