The author, secretary general of the Republic of Zambia, discusses education (and particularly adult education) as a political imperative in Africa. He cites the problems of illiteracy and of the desire for a democratic system, and suggests that population growth must be adjusted to development potential. (MF)

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that oral literature, which is an aspect of the oral tradition, has functioned historically as a vital medium of moral and civic education in non-literate societies the world over. Through the ages, oral literature has performed this function by presenting its various genres as forms of entertainment…