Ubuntu Pedagogy in Song of Lawino: Strengthening Inclusive Early Childhood Education in Uganda
Abstract
Inclusive education requires more than access to schooling; it demands culturally relevant pedagogy that affirms children’s identities and ways of knowing. Song of Lawino (Okot p’Bitek, 1966), a Ugandan literary work rooted in Acholi oral traditions, offers an underexplored resource for understanding inclusive pedagogy from an African perspective. Although widely studied for its cultural and political critique, its pedagogical significance for inclusive Early Childhood Development (ECD) has received limited attention. This study examines how Song of Lawino models Ubuntu pedagogy as a framework for inclusive ECD. Using cultural text analysis informed by hermeneutic phenomenology, the study identifies three interrelated themes: oral literature as an inclusive teaching strategy, communal caregiving as a model for school–community partnership, and affirmation of cultural identity as a foundation for inclusion. Together, these themes demonstrate that Ubuntu pedagogy frames learning as a moral, relational, and communal process rather than an individual achievement. The study contributes to inclusive education scholarship by showing how indigenous cultural texts can inform culturally grounded and human-centred ECD practice. The study concludes that Song of Lawino demonstrates how indigenous cultural texts can guide inclusive ECD by informing teacher education, shaping culturally responsive curricula, and strengthening school–community partnerships in African contexts
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References
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Copyright (c) 2025 Jackline Bwire Achan, PhD, Meinrad Haule Lembuka
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