ABSTRACT
Folklore, in the sense of vernacular cultural practices, is involved in African education in at least three ways. One is its role in the traditional education or socialization of children, as elders pass on their knowledge to the next generation. A second is the contradictory ways in which missionaries and colonial officials conceived of “tradition” and enshrined their policies not only in colonial administration, but also in school curricula. A third is the attempt by independent African nations to recuperate tradition in order to create a national culture; often, these state-sponsored efforts involve schools as a mode of intervention.
