by Caroline Mazibuko
Our native language enables us to communicate, comprehend and connect with each other. We have a sense of belonging because our culture and tradition but are we slowly drifting and adapting to modern western culture because of education or is it how we raise our kids, who is to blame for this transition?
Children are exposed to diversity at a young age to diversity at a tender age which may cause confusion, it also creates a lack of identity and belonging, especially children that are taken to multiracial school were the only medium of communication is English and Afrikaans in some schools. in this case education does contribute to children losing their cultures, in school children are taught to act and behave in a certain way, usually modern western ways. From the moment they step into the assembly, fold their arms and say their prayers that isn’t practised that home, at home they’re taught to kneel down , burn incense and talk to our ancestors and God with eyes open , traditions also teach respect and submission while education teaches self defence.
Cultures and traditions also emphasis that children should only break their virginity in marriage whilst education teaches children to use protection to avoid unwanted pregnancies and STD’s, In most cases traditions do not believe in abortion this is also written in the bible while education has made abortion a norm.
One of the interviews argues that both parties contribute parents can be very ignorant when it comes to educating their children about traditions and belonging mainly because they’re influenced by the modern western cultures . You’d find children speaking English in their homes with their parents. Parents even neglect eating traditional food , performing traditional rituals, drinking traditional beer and actually engaging their ancestors because they’re seen as ‘demons’, surely children are bound to adopt such behaviours from parents only because you have chosen to raise your children like that.
In the end the children believe in what really works , we can preach all we want about traditions and western cultures it’s entirely up to them to decide which route to take , their decisions are also influenced by the company the keep. Parents and teachers have temporal control over their children and that’s a fact.
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