Hunter-Gatherer Children at School: A View From the Global South
Ninkova, Velina; Hays, Jennifer Lynn; Lavi, Noa; Ali, Aishah; Lopes da Silva Macedo, Silvia; Davis, Helen Elizabeth; Lew-Levy, Sheina
Peer reviewed, Journal article
Published version
Date
2024Metadata
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Abstract
Universal formal education is a major global development goal. Yet hunter-
gatherer communities have extremely low participation rates in formal
schooling, even in comparison with other marginalized groups. Here, we
review the existing literature to identify common challenges faced by hunter-
gatherer children in formal education systems in the Global South. We find
that hunter-gatherer children are often granted extensive personal autonomy,
which is at odds with the hierarchical culture of school. Hunter-gatherer
children face economic, infrastructural, social, cultural, and structural bar-
riers that negatively affect their school participation. While schools have
been identified as a risk to the transmission of hunter-gatherer values, lan-
guages, and traditional knowledge, they are also viewed by hunter-gatherer
communities as a source of economic and cultural empowerment. These observations highlight the need for hunter-gatherer communities to
decide for themselves the purpose school serves, and whether children
should be compelled to attend.