Penyai’s Vision of the School and Education in Selected Poetry in Nhekwe Dziri Kanyi (2011)

Abstract

The Ndau and Manyika people are well known for their craving for education, commonly regarded as “school” among the speakers of the two dialects. They are also popular for their love for code-switching between Shona and English. In his anthology of Ndau and Manyika poetry, Nhekwe Dziri Kanyi (2011), Ishmael Penyai focuses on many issues, among them: love, the family and education. On education, the poet expresses his vision of the ideal learner, teacher, school head and school curriculum – a vision which the researchers believe is an epitome of the dialect speakers in question. This article is an examination of Penyai’s view of education in terms of the above-mentioned. It observes that the poet calls for learners to put first things first, by acquiring education before pursuing such things as sexual relationships and urges them, together with teachers and school heads, to be well behaved and cultured in a bid to facilitate knowledge and skills acquisition. In addition, he also widens learning to include such disciplines as music and sports and urges learners to pursue those disciplines they are good at and comfortable with. The article points out that whilst the poet is right in his call for remarkable behaviour among learners and the practitioners, his vision does not take into account why they fail to live in accordance with the ideals. It concludes that whilst Penyai’s vision is plausible and wider than previous perceptions of education, it still needs further sharpening for it to actualise people’s expectations.

Opsomming

 Die Ndau- en Manyika-mense is bekend vir hul smagting na opvoeding, wat algemeen as “skool” beskou word deur die sprekers van die twee dialekte. Hulle is ook gewild vir hul kodewisseling tussen Shona en Engels. In sy versameling van Ndau- en Manyika-gedigte, Nhekwe Dziri Kanyi (2011), fokus Ishmael Penyai op baie temas, waaronder: liefde, die gesin en opvoeding. Wat opvoeding betref, verwoord die digter sy beskouing van die ideale leerder, onderwyser, skoolhoof en skoolkurrikulum – ʼn visie wat die navorsers glo ʼn verpersoonliking van die betrokke dialeksprekers is. Hierdie artikel is ʼn beskouing van Penyai se opvatting van opvoeding met betrekking tot die bogenoemde. Daar word opgemerk dat die digter ʼn beroep op leerders doen om hul prioriteite in orde te kry, deur opvoeding te verwerf voordat hulle dinge soos seksuele verhoudings najaag. Voorts word die leerders, tesame met onderwysers en skoolhoofde, aangemoedig tot goeie, beskaafde gedrag – in ʼn poging om kennis en vaardighede te verwerf. Daarmee saam verbreed hy die begrip van “leer” om dissiplines soos musiek en sport in te sluit, en moedig hy leerders aan om daardie dissiplines na te jaag waarmee hulle goed en gemaklik is. Die artikel wys daarop dat hoewel die digter se pleidooi vir voorbeeldige optrede deur leerders en diegene wat dit beoefen, geregverdig is, sy beskouing nie voorsiening maak vir die rede waarom hulle nie daarin slaag om volgens die ideale te lewe nie. Die gevolgtrekking van die artikel is dat hoewel Penyai se siening geloofwaardig is en meer omvattend is as vorige persepsies oor opvoeding, dit verder verfyn moet word voordat dit mense se verwagtinge kan verwesenlik.