Life Orientation and Indigenous Knowledge Systems

1. Life Orientation and Indigenous Knowledge Systems ‘Vukhomba is a cultural event that is available every three months for health promotion. It can be used to empower women and improve their health. There is a need for sexual health information to reach all girls in the country. It is also important not to label cultural Health Promotion practices as evil before finding out what they are really all about. Puberty rites are cultural institutions that have been working for many years towards bringing women together’ (Maluleke, 2001, 206).

2. Environmental health Indigenous knowledge has a huge role to play in achieving sustainable development (Vargas, 2000).

3. Social development South Africa has important traditional religions and belief systems that have been marginalised by the previous education system (Mndende, 1994). ‘We also need to examine the value base of the Life Orientation learning area within which our life skills and health education programmes are located. To what extent is this curriculum reflecting and perpetuating all worldviews in our communities?’ (Lazarus, 2004, 67).

4. Personal development Goal setting Inkonyane ikhethwa kusakhanya Plan things in advance Time management Nako ga e emeli motho Time does not wait for you Problem solving Ndlopfu a yi etleri hi rivambu rinwe An elephant does not always sleep on the same side - try to look at the problem from different angles, use new strategies or tactics to solve the problem.

5. Physical development and movement • Alexander (1998) suggests a future approach to physical development and movement should include the decolonisation of programmes, and the promotion of movement forms from African culture. • Many indigenous games could add to the recreational health and fitness of learners (Burnett and Hollander, 2004; South African Sports Commission, 2003).

6. Questions for debate Option 1: 1. How can Health Promotion within Life Orientation be supported by IKS? 2. How can we promote IKS in teacher education? In what way could universities offer modules on IKS as part of their generic teacher training? How could universities include in-depth IKS in Life Orientation teacher training? 3. How can we best explore indigenous ontology and epistemology within Life Orientation teaching and learning? 4. How can we counter learners’ alienation from their cultures? What role can Life Orientation interventions play in countering such alienation? Option 2: 1. Suggest ways and give examples of how IKS can be used to promote Life Orientation’s learning outcomes. 2. Give examples of how indigenous games and traditional dance can promote physical development, movement and fitness. 3. Explain how indigenous psychology can promote life skills acquisition. 4. Describe how indigenous beliefs and belief systems can promote learners’ health and well-being.