The esssence of storytelling in education

For some time past, storytelling was one of the subjects on the school time table. School children were encouraged to share stories that they have learnt from their parents and elders. There were prizes for good and interesting storytellers.

At that time good stories were highly valued. Good stories were regarded as stores of knowledge and inestimable record and experience. The stories contained names of places, things and situations which no longer exist. Stories are therefore the history of the people, drawing upon the collective wisdom of a people with highly developed oral skills.

Among the rural folks, mothers often tell their children stories by the fire while waiting to cook dinner. The children’s minds were kept off their hunger as they kept listening to the stories while waiting for their evening meal. As a medium for relaxation and entertainment, stories are without rival. After the hard day’s work, people gather in the public square in the evening to listen to good storytellers. This meeting constantly reinforces social cohesion as people exchange views and ideas, share their experiences before and after the storytelling session.

Young people have traditionally been trained in the art of public speech and oratory through storytelling. Most good and eloquent public speakers are also good storytellers. Storytelling requires a good, logical, sequential, and coherent presentation of situations, ideas and events.

A good storyteller’s most effective weapon is his words. He uses appropriate vocabulary, gestures and actions to bring situations and events into real or physical form and helps the listeners to use their imagination see events in their mind’s eye. Words are tools for everyday communication in the homes and offices and children must be taught this important skill in school.

Most stories have songs which are sung at intervals. Apart from the training given in singing, the stories form a rich repertoire of some of the old songs composed many years ago .The songs that form part of the story are necessarily complementary or relevant since they reinforce the meaning of the stories .A good storyteller must therefore be a good singer for the totality of the story to achieve the desired impact on the listeners.

Another significance of storytelling is the way in which the stories reinforce acceptable social behavior. Most of the stories validate certain social attitudes towards common human characteristics such as arrogance, pride, greed, anger and laziness.

They stress the consequences of such social vices such as murder, idolatory, robbery, etc. Perhaps the prevalence of such vices today among the youth could be partly attributed to lack of proper upbringing of the youth enhanced through storytelling.

Retribution for wrongdoing features very strongly in many of the stories. One is left in no doubt as to what is and what is not acceptable behavior in the society in which one lives. To try and live outside those values is to invite total ostracism.

There are stories which illustrate certain attitudes of life. Prudence and forethought can be extolled in a gentle and humorous story; the teaching does not have to be heavy handed. Stories are sometimes used to explain abstract concepts such as death, life and love .They may also help people in distress, during times of adversity, giving comfort with tales that make the victim aware that he is not alone, not the first nor the last to experience such a misfortune. The stories encourage him not to lose hope but to rise and start again.

Good and effective storytellers are indispensable at the chief’s court. Being the custodians of the oral history of the people, they are very influential in matters of traditional arbitration, especially in matters of land ownership and succession to the stool.

When new chiefs are confined prior to outdooring, storytellers are engaged to instruct and entertain them. They help in the formation of the chief during the period of confinement. The new chief is told stories about successful and unsuccessful chiefs, brave and cowardly ones, intelligent and stupid chiefs and above all kind and mean chiefs with their consequent rewards or punishments.

Today traditional storytelling no longer feature in the regular school programme, but rather confined to a showcase position in cultural festivals. The rich knowledge and experience found in traditional stories are gradually being lost and we are intellectually and emotionally poorer for this neglect. It is my sincere hope that storytelling is re-instated and given its place of honour in the curriculum and on the school timetable.