Abstract

This paper examines the importance of employing traditional Akan poems for teaching Ghanaian children about their long-cherished African values, norms and worldview or heritage, which are becoming “endangered” because of lack of preservation and usage in the educational curriculum. In this respect, the in-depth textual analysis of Yeboah-Dankwa’s, Mmofra Anwensem, a collection of children’s poems translated from the Akan Twi-language into English is one major way to promote this awareness among African educators and children as well as their preservation. The authors believe that the introduction of African Literature, specifically, traditional African poetry in the teaching curriculum at the pre-school and primary levels exposes children to their historical roots at an early age so as not alienate them from their societal values, thereby providing them with a sense of cultural identity. Specifically, the study looks at how Akan poetic texts, designed by African poets can educate pupils about their African cultural environment, family life, religious beliefs and the traditional lore embedded in them. In sum, the major significance of this study is the promotion of African oral traditions in educational curriculum at the lower levels as a foundation for the rapid socio-cultural, economic and political development of the continent.

Keywords: Traditional Akan poems, African literature, Childhood studies, Cultural values