MBABANE – Learners will be introduced to cultural preservation and opportunities within the creative industry through the Schools Cultural Villages Initiative, according to the Eswatini Council of Arts and Culture Chief Executive Officer Stanley Dlamini.
Dlamini said the initiative would allow children to learn cultural practices within schools as part of the existing curriculum, rather than introducing a new subject.
Speaking on the initiative, Dlamini said the programme would help learners understand that preserving culture is a responsibility they carry as they grow.
“We applaud you, Minister, that part of the intervention for this project is that children will be able to learn certain things in schools. As you have said before, this curriculum is not introducing new things, but we are doing what the curriculum has been providing,” said Dlamini.
He said the initiative would focus on two key areas, including teaching learners the importance of preserving culture through both cultural materials and production.
Dlamini said exposing learners to cultural activities at an early age would also introduce them to the cultural industry, where they could explore future opportunities.
“It is also introducing the children to the industry. We appreciate that in our quest to preserve our culture this collaboration is helping us, but also in terms of introducing our children to the cultural industry, it will help us,” he said.
The Schools Cultural Villages Initiative is expected to provide practical learning spaces where learners can engage with traditional crafts, cultural activities, customs and indigenous knowledge.
The initiative will see two cultural villages established during its first phase, creating spaces where education and culture meet.
Dlamini said the collaboration between the Ministry of Education and Training and cultural stakeholders would help ensure that learners gain knowledge about their heritage while understanding the role they can play in the cultural economy.
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