CHILDREN LITERATURE: BEDROCK OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMEN

Abstract

Education is the bedrock of any nation, and Nigeria is no exception. It is a critical pillar of sustainable
human development without which we stagnate, flounder, and become inert. Education can also be
referred to as the bedrock of social, economic and political development. It is important for creating
enabling conditions for sustaining change. A well educated populace (which begins with a child) is
necessary to bring about technological innovations and to adapt and modify it in the context of local
conditions and realities. Only education can equip children with the confidence to make the most of
their abilities. Quality education and basic literacy will open doors to information technology and the
“new economyâ€. According to Jegede (2006), effective national development depends on education
whose bedrock is the acquisition of knowledge. A learning society is a knowledgeable and wise
society. What a person imbibes from childhood forms the basis of his attitude in life hence in Yoruba
culture, a child is taught the norms and values of the society right from childhood through diverse
means, one of which is children poems. These poems are didactic and they cover a wide range of
themes. The language is very simple and they are easy to remember. They mould children’s attitude
as they journey through life. This paper discussed educating children through poems. The poems of
Olatubosun and Odunjo were used as case study.