Western Education versus Indigenous Knowledge of the Tarok in Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

This paper advocates the need for the preservation and conservation of Indigenous Knowledge of the Tarok in Plateau State, Nigeria. The paper started by discussing western education and the indigenous knowledge of the Tarok people and the possible threat of indigenous knowledge extinction due to lack of written records and problems associated with preservation and conservation of the knowledge. The paper also looked at the brief history of Tarok People, the philosophical basis of the Tarok indigenous knowledge/education, the differences and similarities between Tarok indigenous knowledge and western education, and the aspect of the Tarok indigenous knowledge. Finally, the paper concluded that the Tarok indigenous knowledge was more practical than the western education and that the indigenous type of education had a bearing to the traditions, norms and culture of the people. The paper also recommended among others, the establishment of Tarok indigenous knowledge resource centres (museum) and written record on Tarok indigenous knowledge to avoid the threat of extinction.

Keywords: Western Education, Indigenous Knowledge, Preservation, Tarok