Several independent African states promote teaching of a national culture as one culture and learning about ethnic cultures as separate and distinct aspects of other cultures of the nation. This is often articulated in development philosophies and political discourses that complement both being modern and being ethnic with almost equal emphasis. This dissertation is about learning African culture in the school system in Kenya. / The dissertation reviews the historical development of learning about culture in Kenya and particularly about material culture and the arts from pre-Christian and colonial times to post independence. This last period covers the presidencies of Jomo Kenyatta (1963-1978) and Daniel arap Moi (1978-1996). Exemplification of this learning is investigated first at the general national level and then at three particular regions comprising an all Christian, third and fourth generation school-going agriculturist community, a first generation school-going pastoralist nomadic community and a multi-ethnic urban community. In the three regions, the study examines the present situation as it is in the classroom at the level of contact between the art teacher and the pupil in primary schools during the formative years of children's growth. This also spans the period described as the golden years of children's art. / Through qualitative and quantitative material and analyses of political discourses and educational and cultural policy documents. The thesis demonstrates that the art and craft curriculum follows the presidential philosophy of Nyayoism. In theory this philosophy promotes modernization and maintenance of indigenous traditions but in practice leans towards modernization, in actual terms, Europeanization. Modernization is attempting to create one Kenyan national culture using schools as a vehicle. / The research demonstrates how the present national cultural heritage curriculum focusing on material culture is not likely to be an effective arts educational tool and a medium for transmission of indigenous aesthetic knowledge in three school sites representing three broad cultures and traditions of Kenya i.e. agriculturist, pastoralist and multi-ethnic urban.

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