The fame of legendary batyrs (Tynykok, Bilge, Kultegin) who defended their homeland survived to the present day with the runic Orkhon-Yenisey writings of the 5th-7th century, and now can be studied by next generations. However, since at that time there was an alliance of six tribes, it is too early to say that this was the period of Kazakh ethnopedagogy.
The second period is roughly from the 8th to the 12th century. During this period, it is possible to take for the basis of ethnopedagogy the works of such geniuses as Abu Nasir al-Farabi, Yusuf Balasaguni , Khoja Akhmet Yassawi, etc.
Folk pedagogy of the 14th-18th centuries developed through Kazakh folklore, oral literature. This is the third period. The period from the second half of the 19th century to the first half of the 20th century is the fourth period. The fifth period is from the second half of the twentieth century until the 21st century. Re-thinking of the great legacy left by the educator-democrats Ch. Valikhanov, Y. Altynsarin, A. Kunanbayev, S. Toraigyrov through the prism of the modern scientific paradigm is one of the tasks set for today's ethnopedagogy. Chokan Valikhanov is an ethnographer who analyzed the most valuable aspects of the people in his works.
Chokan is a researcher who defined the nature of the Kazakh people and specified their geographical features. To leave his chronicle to the next generation, Chokan Valikhanov wrote his work called "Abylai." The times of the Khanate of Abylai were very tough: it was the time of the attack on the Kazakh people by the Dzungars. The basis of ethno-pedagogy is folk pedagogy, its first source is Kazakh folklore and oral literature. The fact that Chokan Valikhanov collected such valuable materials while serving tsarist Russia helps us understand the value of his works and his great committment to his cause. In 1841, Chokan (through Chingiz) recorded the epic "Edige" from the poet Zhumagul. This epic unvarnishedly depicts traditions, customs and beliefs of the Kazakh people.
Chokan Valikhanov, who graduated from the Cadet Corps, served as adjutant to Gasfort, the Governor-General of Western Siberia. The Russian Geographic Society accepted Chokan Valikhanov as its member in 1857.
In 1857, Chokan stopped until the coming spring since he could not cross the Tien Shan mountains. In May 1858, he travels to Kashkariia. The main direction: Kegen, Santas, Zauky Pass (present Przhevalsky area), Kyzylsu, Kashkar city. The purpose for such a trip was to record traditions, customs, and beliefs of different nations and compare them with the ones of the Kazakh people. The fact that during this trip Chokan Valikhanov left Issyk-Kul Lake in Kyrgyzstan and managed to cross the snowy highest peak of Zauky Tien-Shan Mountains shows his strength and persistance. Chokan, who grew up surrounded by the love of his family and especially grandmother, did not want to leave home for the cadet corps, however, looking at his father and feeling his strength, Chokan understood the need for this trip, realized that he was not a child anymore and that he had duties to his family and his people.
During his trip to Kashkiria, Chokan Valikhanov notes, "According to the customs of Kashkaria and Six cities, visitors from other states are obliged to marry here . It is the groom's duty to cover the expenses for the bride's dressing." Having completely recorded the political situation, traditions and customs of this country, Chokan Valikhanov describes the history and political state of the Uighur people in the area called "Kashkaria", "East Turkistan", "Little Bukhara". Chokan did not refuse to follow the local custom of temporary marriage, which showed his determination to finish what he had started at whatever cost. It will not be an exaggeration to say that modern Kazakh geography and ethnography were immensely contributed to by Chokan.
Comparison of the features of soil and water in the habitats of the Kazakh people with other countries is the most important problem in the works of Ch. Valikhanov. The reason for this is the visit to the Kirghiz Region in 1857. Chokan Valikhanov was the first researcher who studied Dzungars and the first researcher who discovered the European significance of Kashkaria. Chokan Valikhanov openly told the researcher of the Yakut language G. Ogorodnev that it was impossible to research the language without having mastered it. He himself knew all the Turkic languages well. The proof of these words are provided by researcher himself: "There are many languages that under a threat of extinction. This phenomenon can be observed with the Nogai and Bashkir languages. They have now become the Tatar language. Famous steppe musicians – Bashkurt Reed-pipes – no longer perform kyuis that cause shedding of the listener's tears. From their lips you will not hear "Songs about the Fall of the Altyn Horde". The Kazakhs are also disintegrating now, Karakalpaks are disappearing, there is a threat of extinction for the legacy of the ancient Tatars."
Chokan Valikhanov, if we say in Abay's words, is a developed personality who loves his people, his Motherland and a responsible member of his people, who worked hard to leave something for future generations.
Chokan Valikhanov is often called an "Enlightener" because of his desire to bring the Kazakh people closer to the culture, science and education of the Russian people. However, it must be noted that he was more of a researcher than an educator, which is evidenced by his works. His own people always were the main source of his inspiration.
Another widely-known democrat-enlightener was Abai Kunanbayev, a classic of Kazakh literature and one of the greatest thinkers of his time.
The following conclusion was made regarding Abai Kunanbayev in school textbooks, "The great enlighteners of the Kazakh people made a significant contribution to strengthening the friendship between the Russian and Kazakh people. They explained in detail to their people that the Russian working people never supported the landlords, the capitalists, the colonial policy of the tsarist government; on the contrary, they resisted them; they looked with sincere sympathy at the Kazakh people, and other peoples who found themselves under national and social oppression".
Ybyrai Altynsarin, Chokan Valikhanov, and Abai Kunanbayev believed that the Kazakh people, who went through a lot of suffering, finally got rid of the oppression only thanks to the Russian people. Therefore, they said, the Kazakh people should become closer with the Russian people, should learn their language, culture, and way of life.
It was vitally important for the Kazakh people to learn the Russian language, since this not only brought the Kazakhs closer to the Russians, in addition to strengthening the friendship of the two peoples, but also broadly opened the way for Kazakh people to use the inexhaustible treasures of Russian and world science and culture. "We need to learn Russian," Abai wrote, "wisdom, spiritual and material values, science – Russians have it all. We can largely benefit from their culture and science. The reason is this: they know the language of the world, if you know their language, the window of opportunities is wide open for you ... Science and the art of Russians are the key to the universe, it will be much easier to learn the world for those who have mastered this language." Such ideas can also be found in modern textbooks.
However, there are no reasons to assume that Abai Kunanbayev put the Russian language above his own mother tongue. In his Book of Words, we can see it in the 25th part:
First, he says, "Our land is being destroyed." It can be inferred that what he really meant was that "The Kazakh land has become the property of the Russian Empire". Therefore, if the Russians have all the power, you need to learn their language, whether you like it or not. He specifies three reasons for learning the Russian language:
- learn the Russian language to be a defense to your people;
- learn the Russian language so as not to let trample down the honor of your people;
- learn the Russian language to be able to make a good point when you interfere in their dispute, learn the Russian language to master the culture of this people, and to learn the world through it.
The common conclusion that can be found in the textbooks does not show the teachings of Abai in the right light, as they always were connected with the values of folk pedagogy in Kazakh schools. He never considered the Russian language better than his native language. The legacy left by Abai Kunanbayev is not limited to enlightening-democratic ideas, the whole world recognized him as a genius and a great thinker.
Abai's contribution to the folk pedagogy of Kazakh people is special. The work that is the cause of this conclusion is called "A few words about the origin of the traditions and customs of the Kazakhs". In this work Abai says, "There is a spring holiday Nauryz, on this day everyone does nauroznama, there's a feast. This day is called the Great Day of the People. The more generous the celebration of Nauryz is, the happier the year will be." Such phrases as "Will be cursed is the one who does not recognize ancestors", "The food of a man and a wolf is on the road" refer to folk pedagogy. Speaking of how Genghis Khan was proclaimed a khan in the mountains of Chingiz, he notes that among the 12 people closest to the khan, there was a Kazakh named Maiky Biy. From this fact, comes the explanation of the proverb "All words come from one basis, all Kazakhs come from one ancestor Maiky Biy." Abai Kunanbayev also says that Genghis Khan's nukers were Tatars and Kazakhs, and that from early childhood children were taught to be patient, persevering. Genghis Khan gave all the troops manned from the Tatars and Kazakhs to Zhoshy, his eldest son; Kor was the one who killed the khan, conquered the Uighurs and reached the depths of Asia. Abai proved that the phrase that became a proverb "In the year of the snake the movement began, in the year of the horse the battle began, in the year of the sheep there was a rapprochement", "The wide road of Samarkand, the narrow road of Bulanbai" refer to these events. Abai Kunanbayev openly declares that the root of such disasters as horse stealing, attacks on auls, idleness and laziness all came with Genghis Khan.
Abai Kunanbaev wrote about the division of Kazaks into three Zhuzes, "From the family of Emir Temir, the son of Kumar Shaikh, born with the mother of the famous Tsar Babyr, there were two brothers. The elder was a khan in Tashkent, the youngest ruled Kazakhs. They were the children of Zhunis Khan of the Chagatai clan. The one who ruled the Kazakhs was called Akhmet. He once assembled three hundred troops from the Kazakhs for a campaign and gave control of them to three commanders. The people of each Zhuz in solidarity were considered relatives. Therefore, the Kazakhs say "Son of three zhuzes."
Just like Ybyrai Altynsarin, Abai Kunanbayev was a researcher who made a huge contribution to the folk pedagogy of his people. First, he made a scientific justification for proverbs preserved in the memory of the people, and divided them into the living ones and dead ones. Secondly, he made his philosophical judgment with regard to such concepts as "body", "soul", and "spirit" in folk pedagogy. He criticized negativity "if the body is a house for the soul, man is an animal", "if there is no faith in the soul, there is no light in the heart, a man is no better than an animal", "being locked in sorrow and being able to find a way out is also a curse, and if you laugh at the deed of a bad person, do not laugh with pleasure, but laugh with anger, evil laughter is also sadness", etc. These are the conclusions proving that these words do not correspond to the traditions of pedagogy. To revive and renew wisdom folk wisdom of the past, Abai Kunanbayev wrote many works devoted to this. The theme of Abai Kunanbayev's works is the binding of ancient and modern traditions, customs of the Kazakh people with the interest of the new society. As an instrument against negative actions, Abai Kunanbayev concluded: "The Kazakhs are people just like others, many have fallen not from stupidity but from the fact that in their hearts there is no determination and wisdom to separate the good from the bad. Even when there is knowledge, a man does not always follow it because of his weakness and shamelessness."
The contribution made by Abai Kunanbayev to folk pedagogy requires an in-depth study. He passed to next generations the classical folk pedagogy seen by his own eyes, carried in his own heart heart. Abai's works are based on wise reasoning.
Abai Kunanbayev is a rationalist adhering to national interests, a researcher, a genius who managed to connect in his works wise conclusions about the personality, ontology with the requirements of modern science and education.
Without a doubt, many of Abai's aphorisms can be applied to today's society. Assumptions that a person cannot be ahead of one's time, that people's worldview should be based on love, that the right balance between mind, body and heart (feelings) is the logical key to solving the contradictions between people. Abai, who used problems of feelings and sensations as a support for his work, created the national school of psychology, proposed methods and ways of remembering the acquired knowledge.
Having gained knowledge from world literary works, Ybyrai Altynsarin had a talent of transferring this knowledge to Kazakh children. Ybyrai Altynsarin's enlightening activity is also based on folk pedagogy. Short and vivid stories written by him have clear pedagogical goals and serve to promote the best of folk traditions. "A Bai’s Son and a Poor Man’s Son", "A Yurt and a Wooden House", "Kipchak Seitkul" and other works by Ybyrai Altynsarin were not intended to bring the reader back to the old times, on the contrary, they emphasized changes in the society. Promotion of diligence, open-mindedness, good deeds serves as an answer to the question "What is the goal of teaching children?" The didactic object of his works is associated with the verb "to learn". He was able to find ways to make learning interesting.
To treat the nature with care and to accumulate the wisdom from Turkic Kaganate until today is the key rule of folk pedagogy. An example of that is Y. Altynsarin's poem "As the Summer Comes". The spring life of the Kazakh aul is connected with happiness. Understanding spring beauty as a great gift and bliss, the author shows how close he is to his people.
One of the main Altynsarin's works, "The Kazakh Reading Book" published in 1879, contains different texts aimed at teaching the right things to learners. This was the time right after the accession to the Russian Empire, when Kazakh children were required to quickly adapt to learning in a new language. This is why Altynsarin works and his fresh pedagogical ideas were so important.
In general, the conclusions in verses relating to folk pedagogy are as follows:
1) If you start doing something
It will be good (used in daily life)
2) Uneducated person
cannot see his way in the dark (folk pedagogy)
3) Carefully remember what you were taught
4) Cattle is a wealth
Lose it once, and it will disappear
5) Wealth of the scientist
Increases with each passing day (the comparison also applies to folk pedagogy)
6) A horse with a good pace will not lose weight
Knowledge will not fail ...
7) Kydyr ata will not touch
An ignorant man who does not know his own traditions (using concepts familiar to the people)
8) A cart without a horse
was driven 1000 kilometers to the destination
within half a day.
The story "Precious Grass" describes the patience of the girls named Batima and Zylikha. Ybyrai Altynsarin is a skillful writer, educator who was able to adapt to the demands of the society of his age and promote diligence, resourcefulness, independence, accumulation of knowledge and interest in learning through his works.
Works by another author, Sultanmakhmut Toraighyrov, have a special place in folk pedagogy.
When comparing S. Toraighyrov's works with other zhyrau-poets, one cannot help but notice that he has his own unique style. Even without reading the poet's works, we can tell about the problems he was writing about. Just looking at the names of his works, such as "Who Is to Blame?", "Lost Life", "Aitys", "Acquaintance", it is easy to tell what they are about. It is clear that the author expresses his love to his people with bitter thoughts.
According to the poet, Kazakh children can be different. Some of them are illiterate hooligans who have never studied and live more like animals than like people. But others are like flowers blooming in the steppe, and they are the hope of the nation. Toraighyrov always emphasized that the young need to move further, and in order to do so they need to understand how precious their time is and how important it is to spend it wisely, including on learning the right things from the right books.
The author's ideas in "Who is to blame?" and "Lost Life" are explained in a philosophical style. In these two novels Toraighyrov placed a special emphasis on the need of self-cognition.
Speaking of the folk pedagogy of the 19th century, Toraighyrov believed that the process of education must begin right from infancy and that each period of a human's life provides its own unique opportunities for education. He believed in people's intellectual potential that must be realized in the course of their lives.
In the poem "Lost Life", specific periods of human life are described. Toraighyrov uses the following words for the age from infancy to 15 years: "angel of paradise", "pure", "free from conflicts and strife". This correponds to the traditions of the folk pedagogy.
The period from 15 to 30 is the age of early adult life, the peak of energy and health. All subsequent periods largely depend on the choices and decisions made during this period.
I am at the dawn of my youth,
Therefore, I can choose
My road from numerous paths.
I am young and I am strong,
My heart won't let me do wrong
And protect me from evil and wraths.
"Made not only of flesh,
Every human has soul.
...
Stay true to yourself and remember
What is really important in life."
"So many options now you have,
But always keep in mind:
Deciet will lead you down the wrong path
Nothing but misery you will find."
At this age, people face injustice for the first time, as a result of that some kind of internal conflict may appear. So, "Who is to blame?"
“I am free to go wherever.
But when my small old shoes hurt so bad,
Will I go far? Or will I ever
Understand why this world is cold and sad?
Only the thoughtless and carefree
Who don't think about "right" or "wrong"
Are the ones that are happy here
And it's been like that for so long.”
The lack of spiritual values as the main problem is consistently shown by the poet:
“With every passing year
Evil gets stronger and stronger.
A man is shedding a tear,
Saying he can't take any longer.
Being "good" and "right" is a curse,
It will never bring you success,
Perhaps, I should try the reverse,
And become someone else who cares less.”
Through his character, S. Toraighyrov shows that there will be no place in the world for a just man if injustice becomes an established norm. The author shows how yesterday's baby, with a pure heart and soul, gets "spoiled" by experiencing only hardships and frustration.
For a man who faced injustice, hardship and has lost hope for a better future, the spiritual values learned in the childhood may become a guiding star showing the way out of the misery. This is why folk pedagogy is so important. S. Toraighyrov encourages the reader to think why people so often get lost in their lives and who is to blame for that.
“But is it the fate or the fact
That we always get what we give?
Start from yourself, and you will attract
All the things that you want to receive.”
In his "Lost Life", S. Toraighyrov talks about age-specific features of people from infancy to childhood, from childhood to adolescence, from adolescence to adulthood, from adulthood to old age, from old age to death. He also talks about injustice in society. In his opinion, the basis of justice is humane upbringing of children. The author insists that if values-based education continues to be neglected, the future of Kazakh people will be rather vague and unpredictable.
In the chapter devoted to the old age, it is shown how the body is ageing, and how the energy of life is slowly leaving it.
Who am I now? With every passing year
The growth of time I need for sleep is steady.
Nobody talks to me, they don't care
They think that I am dead already.
No big achievements, no return,
Perhaps I spent my life in vain.
I haven't done a thing to earn
Good words from people to relief my pain.
In the next part, the author contemplates death and what happens after it:
What's next? I wonder who can tell
What really happens when the planets
Turn into cosmic dust and every living cell
Returns back from where it emanates.
What happens to my heart and soul,
To all my thoughts and all my wishes?
Will they just disappear at all
Like dust scattered by the wind so vicious?
The author insists that a more just society is needed.
With his poem "Lost Life", he makes his own contribution to eradication of this problem and to the better life of the Kazakh people in the future.
Questions for students’ knowledge assessment:
Questions for students' independent work
Literature:
1 Абай Кунанбаев. Рухнама. Павлодар: ЭКО, 2003.-252с
2.Жүсіпбек Аймауытов. Рухнама. Павлодар: ЭКО, 2003.-126 с