TRADITIONAL knowledge should be included in school curriculums.
University of the South Pacific Tali Magimagi radio show producers Jope Tarai and Rosiana Lagi said it could be included in various subjects.
They also said traditional knowledge could help ease climate change problems.
We can see the loss of traditional knowledge, they said.
For instance, some children nowadays cannot even read the traditional ecological sign that there is going to be a bogiwalu - eight continuous nights of rain - or that there is going to be a cyclone or tsunami.
Therefore, they are not prepared when either of these events happens and neither do they know what to do to be able to live sustainably during and after the disaster.
Mr Tarai and Ms Lagi said the attitude of children today had changed, saying some were disrespectful.
Children and elders must be taught traditional values of respect so that they can respect each other and also respect others, they said.
It is important that the elders share this traditional knowledge with the young. However, nowadays not many young people have time to listen to their elders or have access to their elders or speak the same language as their elders because their elders may have passed on or the young ones do not live with their elders or because the young prefer to speak in English and not in vernacular which is the elders language of instruction or the language in which traditional knowledge is transmitted.
It is recommended that traditional knowledge is included in the curriculum and taught in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.
Some may view traditional knowledge as a barrier to modernisation or witchcraft but we would recommend that the best of traditional knowledge and the best of modern knowledge are interwoven to ensure the survival of our traditional knowledge and people.