Initiation Rites of the IsiXhosa Culture Are Education Systems

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the male and female initiation rites of the amaXhosa of South Africa to argue that these traditional institutions meet the definitional criteria of education systems. We theorize education systems as fulfilling three key goals: knowledge transfer, character development, and socioeconomic agency. Framing certain initiation rites as being Indigenous Education Systems clarifies the precolonial education mechanisms of many non-Western societies, and how these institutions continue to function even with the advent of Western-style K-12 education systems. We delineate how the amaXhosa rites have changed in modern times and regularly intersect with larger social discourses, reflecting the ongoing dynamicity and vitality of these institutions. Cross-comparison with other cultural rites reveals remarkable similarities between traditional educational systems and uncovers institutional adaptations that could frame the conversation around methods for revalorizing Indigenous Knowledge production and transmission.