How Asabano Children Learn; or, Formal Schooling amongst Informal Learners

Abstract

This paper discusses the way in which Asabano children of Papua New Guinea (PNG) learn. The question of how Asabano children learn is interesting because parents believe children to be incapable of heeding instruction, and so they consciously do not attempt to teach children and may even intervene to stop activities that they see as educational. Thus, with little or no instruction, children come to possess a rich corpus of skills and knowledge. To explain how this is possible, I draw upon the concepts of guided participation and play, illustrating that the routine arrangements of children's lives are critical to their education and enculturation. This traditional Asabano system of education contrasts starkly with the formal schooling system in the village, which I argue should better address the local socio‐cultural context

Teaching: Natural or Cultural?

“…Probing further, Little discovered that the resolution to this contradiction lay in the consistent and explicit sermonizing of village pastors regarding the Christian duty of parents to instruct their children. Although parents had not actually changed their parenting behavior, they could parrot the credo and apply it to their own culture (Little, 2011).…”

“…While adult role models may not be available, older brothers seem quite happy to show off their skills to impress their juniors (Little, 2011;Biyaka-Neuwelt-Truntzer, 1981;Puri, 2005). There is an extremely relevant body of research that supports the notion that children are "natural" foragers and do not need to be taught or even shown how it's done (Chipeniuk, 1995;Heth & Cornell, 1985;Hunn, 2002;Piel, 2012; Teaching: Natural or Cultural?…”

Children as a Reserve Labor Force

“…However, while children are welcome to "pitch in" (Paradise and Rogoff 2009) with simple tasks such as fetching and carrying, their active participation in more challenging assignments is not always applauded. Their clumsy attempts may be rebuffed for a variety of reasons (Lancy 2014b;Little 2011;Michelet 2013). They may not be considered sufficiently competent to look after an infant; to handle fragile implements or precious commodities (e.g., they might knock over a mortar and spill the grain); to carry out a task without the assistance of a more competent but too busy person; to assist without disrupting or damaging the work of others; to make the long, arduous trek in search of food or to and from distant gardens; or to do a task without injury to themselves or someone else.…”

Children as a Reserve Labor Force

“…However, while children are welcome to "pitch in" (Paradise and Rogoff 2009) with simple tasks such as fetching and carrying, their active participation in more challenging assignments is not always applauded. Their clumsy attempts may be rebuffed for a variety of reasons (Lancy 2014b;Little 2011;Michelet 2013). They may not be considered sufficiently competent to look after an infant; to handle fragile implements or precious commodities (e.g.…”