The education system of KAMA (1)
Today we will talk about the education system of KAMA in the Ultimes Griots universe. In chapter 1, we see Imana talking about “evening classes”. In this article, we explain how Kama’s education system works: why and how this system differs from the one in force in our present space-time.
The main pillars of KAMA’s education system
KAMA’s education system is a system of lifelong learning. Learning for life, in which the learner starts from a very young age and never stops learning. This system can be divided into 9 major classes of 7 years of learning each.
At the end of these 9 classes comes a final, secret class, devoted to research. The ultimate goal for every pupil, through this system, is to answer the 3 essential questions of initiation: Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going? Let’s look together at the issues and philosophical aspects linked to each of these questions.
Who am I?
This is an introspection the student carries out throughout their life. It focuses on the following points: knowing one’s strengths and weaknesses; knowing one’s totem and understanding its meaning; knowing the meaning of one’s name and nickname; learning that one is everything and nothing.
“Everything” because we carry a divine spark, and “nothing” because we can die of a fever.
Knowing one’s main fear and secondary fears; knowing one’s unique potential and one’s alliances.
Where do I come from?
The learner must understand the universe through themes such as the origin of the world. Knowing one’s ancestors and learning to get in touch with them (libation techniques, cowries, etc.); mastering the 3 primordial kingdoms, namely the animal kingdom, the plant kingdom and the mineral kingdom.
One must also learn one’s own genealogy and that of other families; know the stars and their influence on everyday life; know other peoples (which requires apprenticeships and travel).
Where am I going?
Working on oneself to unleash one’s unique potential and contribute to the world. Defining one’s unique purpose in life and reflecting on one’s contribution to society. Learning one’s main trade; knowing what death is; knowing the world of the ancestors; knowing what love relationships and marriage are; learning politics and diplomacy; mastering the art of war and the raising of children, etc.
The answers to these 3 [basic] questions are discovered by the learners themselves, with the help of the various educators and of society as a whole. Education is centered on the individual and allows them to unfold their potential while contributing to the smooth running of society.
The 9 classes of the education system
Let’s come back to Kama’s 9 classes of education. First, it is important to point out that a child’s education begins even before the child is born. The future parents must prepare the atmosphere and initiatory environment of the child to come.
This includes, among other things, speaking words of blessing, performing rituals or adopting particular practices during the mother’s pregnancy.
1. The first seven-year cycle
The mother’s school (from 0 to 7 years old). The main areas are: basic initiation, morals, obedience, discovery. We will cover the 1st seven-year cycle in a separate article.
2. The second seven-year cycle
The school under the tree, or the outdoor school (from 8 to 14 years old). Here the aim is to learn outside the home. Lessons are given in the evenings from 7 p.m. in dedicated squares. Pupils are taught through a playful model made up of tales and group games (e.g. Solé na placali domou).
The next day, the pupil puts themselves in a real situation to apply the lessons received the evening before. They spend their days playing, touching everything and observing. In the evenings they regain their balance by asking questions about what they have seen. This is how they perfect their alignment in this playful cycle of theory and practice.
For example, if in the evening the learner attends a tale about the hare, during the following day the pupil sets out to observe the animal in real life. They try to touch it or to imitate its behavior… For children from the castes, a small part of the day is set aside for lessons with teachers appointed by the various castes.
3. The 3rd seven-year cycle
The school of reason, or of initiation (from 15 to 21 years old). In this class, the pupil learns to define themselves. They learn to free themselves from fear and to decode nature. KAMA’s education system gives paramount importance to facing one’s greatest fears. So, through ordeals, the learner tries to break free from the weight of fear.
Fear inhibits knowledge and must be switched off at all costs. Journeys are organized for this purpose, as well as rites in the forest. These ordeals gradually help the learner to open up to love and learning, in harmony with their outer environment.
Without being obsessed with the need to protect or barricade oneself. Potential lies just beyond fear. It is from the 3rd seven-year cycle that the child begins to tackle the 3 essential questions of initiation mentioned above.
We will stop here. The other classes will be covered in another article.