Mainstreaming local people's knowledge and implication for higher education in the South

Abstract

The essence of education is the enhancement of behavioural change through the acquisition of new knowledge, skills and attitudes by the learner, which invariably translates to individual and national progress. This article, therefore, sheds light on the development and utilisation of local people's knowledge systems/technologies with possible adaptation for teaching in Colleges and Universities in the South for the realisation of sustainable development. It specifically addresses contextual issues and processes involved in knowledge produdion through indigenous experimentation and innovation; emphasizes both in situ and ex situ preservation of knowledge; identifies social odors in (indigenous) knowledge produdion; proposes a model for incorporating IKS in the formal education system; and suggests that the knowledge generated by grassroots people should be documented, preserved and made available in international centres for accessibility by all stakeholders for possible adaptation. The article poses a challenge to the twenty first century knowledge producers and policy-makers on the importance of mainstreaming indigenous knowledge systems for the purpose of teaching in higher institutions to enhance sustainable human development.