The basic aim of primitive education was security since the fundamental problem then was to stay alive, to protect oneself and his family from the destructive forces of nature, both human and divine. Fear, therefore, was the greatest stimulus for action, and also the earliest motive for education. Whether conscious of it or not the primitive man's educational aim was to prepare the young to secure himself and his family and to appease the gods or spirits that controlled his existence. His respect for trees, rocks, the sun, etc. gave rise to the earliest religion, ANIMISM.
The second aim of primitive education was conformity, since this was basic for social security. Conformity brought together families, clans and tribes so that they could conquer common dangers.
Primitive people have been able to survive by subordinating the interests of the individual to the interests of the group. Primitive education aimed at securing the continued existence of the group by restricting the activities of its members, unlike in complex democratic cultures where education seeks to achieve social security by increasing the intelligence, skill and freedom of all its members.
In ages past, education was simply enculturation, that is, the imposing of group characteristics upon children. For a member to deviate from the customs and beliefs of his tribe was unpardonable.