Copyright © 2025
Print ISSN: 2960-1541
Online ISSN: 2960-155X
Inclusive Society Institute PO Box 12609
Mill Street
Cape Town, 8000 South Africa 235-515 NPO All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the permission in writing from the Inclusive Society Institute D I S C L A I M E R
Views expressed in this report do not necessarily represent the views of
the Inclusive Society Institute or those of their respective Board or Council
members.
JANUARY 2025
by Dr Pryah Mahabeer
The transformation of South African higher education, catalyzed by the #FeesMustFall and #RhodesMustFall student protests, called for decolonising educational spaces to address historical inequities for inclusiveness. South Africa’s socioeconomic disparities underscored the urgent need for curriculum transformation to address these pressing societal challenges (Blignaut, 2020; Govender & Naidoo, 2023; Padayachee et al., 2018). The student-led movements exposed the complex challenges of deeply entrenched educational paradigms that have long marginalised African knowledge systems and experience and called for the push for conceptualising, planning, and implementing a decolonised curriculum (Govender & Naidoo, 2023; Padayachee et al., 2018). Nevertheless, the perpetuation of Eurocentric paradigms in curriculum development and implementation presents a significant obstacle to achieving educational justice for historically marginalised populations. While scholarly debates on curriculum decolonisation have become increasingly nuanced, reflecting growing awareness of the intricate relationship between education, equity, and social justice essential for student empowerment and creating an inclusive, contextually relevant educational space. Recent scholarships suggest a concerning decline in decolonisation efforts, attributed somewhat to the longstanding dominance of European hegemony in educational sectors (Govender & Naidoo, 2023).
Decolonising South African education represents a critical step in addressing historical injustices and creating more equitable learning environments through valuing diversity, considering multiple experiences, and complicating the narrative of domination, which requires critically interrogating the dominant Westernised and Eurocentric knowledge systems that privilege specific epistemologies over Indigenous ways of knowing (Lowe, 1996; Kumashiro, 2004; Subedi, 2013; Zembylas, 2018). The challenge lies in dismantling and challenging the pervasive Eurocentric ways of knowing, culture and language that have dominated the South African education sector (Padayachee et al., 2018). The decolonisation of education in South Africa transcends cosmetic changes to curriculum content and demands a comprehensive reconstruction of how knowledge is conceived, validated, and transmitted within educational contexts. As Blignaut (2020) argued, meaningful educational transformation must simultaneously address curriculum content and pedagogical approaches that authentically reflect African ways of knowing and learning, recognising that change must extend to how knowledge is conceptualised and delivered and not merely what is taught. Decolonising education in South Africa requires fundamentally rethinking and reconstructing epistemological models, dismantling Eurocentric knowledge systems, and placing African experiences, perspectives and knowledge systems at the core of teaching, learning, and research, as concluded by Heleta (2016). According to Padayachee et al. (2018), implementing a knowledge-based curriculum empowers students to integrate their experiences and understandings while developing critical skills in understanding and appreciating diverse viewpoints and perspectives.
A nuanced approach to decolonised pedagogy requires carefully balancing indigenous knowledge systems with global epistemologies that involve critically examining colonial and apartheid educational legacies while developing culturally responsive teaching methodologies that validate diverse cultural perspectives and African experiences (Govender & Naidoo, 2023; Padayachee et al., 2018). Mampane, Omidire, and Aluko (2018) advocate for a ‘glocal’ approach that strategically foregrounds Indigenous knowledge while thoughtfully incorporating international worldviews. This perspective aligns with scholarly views that see curriculum decolonisation as a process of broader social transformation rather than a wholesale rejection of Western thought (Chilisa, 2012; Le Grange, 2016; Smith, 1999). That is, disturbing undisputed philosophies and ethics while drawing thoughtfully on valuable Western scholarly practices.
Scholars offer various insights into understanding and implementing a decolonised curriculum. Césaire’s (2000) work emphasises the importance of psychological and intellectual liberation from colonial mindsets, focusing on consciousness and denouncing colonial ideals. Meanwhile, Mbembe (2015, 2016) offers a more integrative approach that centres on African perspectives while maintaining a productive dialogue with Western knowledge systems without rejecting Western ideologies entirely. In other words, an effective higher education curriculum must balance both local context and global perspectives by embracing diverse knowledge systems. “For graduates to be locally and globally responsive (as is required for a sustainable future), perhaps what is needed is university curricula that are epistemically diverse and both locally and globally relevant” (Mbembe 2016 cited in Padayachee et al., 2018, p.291). Laenui (2000) and Smith (1999) provide a structured approach to decolonization. Their work describes a comprehensive process moving through phases of rediscovery, recovery, mourning, dreaming, and commitment, ultimately culminating in concrete action. They acknowledge the psychological and emotional dimensions of decolonisation while providing practical guidance for implementation, recognising that true transformation extends beyond mere academic restructuring (Laenui, 2000; Smith, 1999).
Critical pedagogy also emerged as an important framework for understanding curriculum decolonisation, highlighting the need for students to foster critical thinking skills to engage with diverse knowledge systems, empathy, and question power dynamics and societal structures and injustices, as articulated by Zembylas (2018) and Mbembe (2016). To this effect, Zembylas (2018) offers insights on how humanising pedagogy can be reconstructed with decolonising pedagogy to transform higher education in South Africa, address inequalities, empower students and teachers as agents of change, and create learning environments that challenge existing power structures and promote social consciousness. Further, Mahabeer’s (2018) “re-humanised” approach argues for creating meaningful synergy between Western and Indigenous knowledge systems, prioritising relevance to South African classroom realities while maintaining international academic standards. Her work prioritises local contextual relevance while maintaining global academic competitiveness, positioning curriculum decision-makers as critical change agents. Complementing this approach, the “thinking-feeling entanglement” proposed by Zembylas (2024) offers a promising framework of emotional awareness and analytical thought for nurturing critical thinking skills and social consciousness, enabling students to find their voices as change-makers. As such, facilitating for meaningful transformation through curricula integrating multiple knowledge systems, maintaining academic standards while addressing contextual needs and fostering social awareness.
Implementing a decolonised curriculum requires a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries and calls for a more holistic understanding of knowledge that fosters critical thinking and reflects the intricate connections between global issues and local contexts. Maldonado-Torres (2016) emphasised the importance of moving beyond Western epistemological boundaries, while Carvalho & Flórez-Flórez (2014) proposed a decolonial transdisciplinarity that embraces non-Western ways of knowing, feeling, being, and doing. Integrating Indigenous knowledge systems requires transforming the curriculum through critically revising course material to include diverse perspectives, developing and implementing culturally responsive teaching content and methods, acknowledging students’ cultural backgrounds and experiences, preserving and promoting Indigenous languages, challenging power dynamics, and including previously excluded scholarly works (Govender & Naidoo, 2023). This transformative approach would necessitate ongoing collaboration with all stakeholders and continuous professional development for educators to ensure the sustained implementation and evolution of inclusive decolonial practices relevant to the realities of the postcolonial educational context and uncover more improved ways of teaching and learning (Mahabeer, 2021; Padayachee et al., 2018).
Decolonising the curriculum faces practical implementation challenges. As Govender & Naidoo (2023) reveal, critical challenges of implementing decolonised curricula in South Africa are the longstanding European knowledge dominance across educational systems, the limited policy development and implementation of decolonisation strategies, and academic staff’s readiness and resistance to change the curriculum, including the reluctance of some stakeholders to continue the decolonising journey (Govender & Naidoo, 2023). Institutional resistance and stakeholder reluctance often stem from deeply entrenched systems and mindsets, while the need for attitudinal change among academic staff presents ongoing implementation challenges (Govender & Naidoo, 2023; Padayachee et al., 2018). These obstacles are compounded by resource and infrastructure limitations, mainly affecting historically disadvantaged institutions. The complexity of balancing technological integration with cultural sensitivity creates additional layers of challenges, especially in the context of rapid technological advancement and globalisation (Govender & Naidoo, 2023; Padayachee et al., 2018). Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive approach by prioritising professional staff development programmes supported by strong institutional leadership and sustained support systems that facilitate long-term change (Padayachee et al., 2018). Moreover, sustainable development and institutional well-being in implementing an inclusive decolonising process requires a multi-faceted approach that addresses technological integration and fundamental support structures (Mpu & Adu, 2021; Padayachee et al., 2018). Despite calls for decolonising the curriculum in South Africa, Govender and Naidoo (2023) argue that more is necessary at the policy development and implementation level. Regular policy review and adaptation will ensure that decolonial practices remain relevant and practical, while engagement with local communities and stakeholders helps maintain accountability and cultural authenticity (Mpu & Adu, 2021).
Decolonised curriculum development aims to create diverse knowledge and educational experiences that are theoretically rigorous, contextually relevant, and culturally responsive, necessary for sustainable education development for individual, institutional and societal reform and well-being (Padayachee et al., 2018). Rather than merely rejecting Western knowledge, this educational journey requires moving beyond preserving cultural heritage and respecting local knowledge systems, maintaining global competitiveness, helping students understand interconnections between global imperatives and local contexts, and empowering students to share their personal experiences and perspectives in the educational process. It requires empowering students to critically engage and actively respond to emerging complexities such as rising inequalities, disruptions, climate change, global health crises, and perpetuating patriarchal structures (Govender & Naidoo, 2023). The success of decolonising the curriculum depends on producing graduates who demonstrate theoretical proficiency, are critically aware of social complexities, can contribute to positive social transformation, and actively participate in an increasingly competitive global and changing context. Transforming the curriculum goes beyond mere changes to curriculum content, it represents a fundamental rethinking of how knowledge is produced and implemented, guided by a firm commitment to educational equity and social justice principles.
References
Blignaut, S. 2020. Transforming the curriculum for the unique challenges faced by South Africa, Curriculum Perspectives, 41: 27-34.
Carvalho, J.J.D. & Flórez-Flórez, J. 2014. The Meeting of Knowledges: a project for the decolonisation of universities in Latin America, Postcolonial Studies, 17(2): 122-139.
Césaire, A. 2000. Discourse on colonialism. New York, NY: Monthly Review Press.
Chilisa, B. 2012. Indigenous research methodologies. Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
Govender, L. & Naidoo, D. 2023. Decolonial insights for transforming the higher education curriculum in South Africa. Curriculum Perspectives, 43(Suppl 1): 59-71. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41297-023-00200-3
Heleta, S. 2016. Decolonisation of higher education: Dismantling epistemic violence and Eurocentrism in South Africa, Transformation in Higher Education, 1(1):1−8.
Kumashiro, K. K. 2004. Introduction and Part 1. Against Common Sense: Teaching and Learning toward Social Justice. New York, NY: Routledge Falmer.
Le Grange, L. 2016. Decolonising the university curriculum, South African Journal of Higher Education, 30(2): 1-12.
Lowe, L. 1996. Immigrant Acts: On Asian American Cultural Politics. Durham and London: Duke University Press.
Maldonado-Torres, N. 2016. Transdisciplinaridade e decolonialidade, Sociedade E Estado, 31: 75-97.
Mbembe, A. 2015. Decolonising knowledge and the question of the archive. [Online] Available at: https://wiser.wits.ac.za/system/files/Achille%20Mbembe%20 %20Decolonising%20Knowledge%20and%20the%20Question%20of%20the%20Archive. pdf [accessed: 30 January 2025].
Mbembe, A.J. 2016. Decolonising the university: New directions, Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 15(1): 29-45.
Mampane, R.M., Omidire, M.F. & Aluko, F.R. 2018. Decolonising Higher Education in Africa: Arriving at a Glocal Solution, South African Journal of Education, 38(4): 1-9.
Mahabeer, P. 2018. Curriculum decision-makers on decolonising the teacher education curriculum, South African Journal of Education, 38(4): 1-13.
Mahabeer, P. 2021. Decolonising the school curriculum in South Africa: Black women teachers’ perspectives, Decolonising curricula and pedagogy in higher education, 97-119.
Mpu, Y. & Adu, E.O. 2021. The challenges of inclusive education and its implementation in schools: The South African perspective, Perspectives in Education, 39(2): 225-238.
Padayachee, K., Matimolane, M. & Ganas, R. 2018. Addressing Curriculum Decolonisation and Education for Sustainable Development through Epistemically Diverse Curricula. South African Journal of Higher Education 32(6): 288-304. https://doi.org/10.20853/32-6-2986.
Subedi, B. 2013. Decolonizing the Curriculum for Global Perspectives. Educational Theory, 63 (6): 621–638. doi:10.1111/edth.12045.
Zembylas, M. 2018. Decolonial Possibilities in South African Higher Education: Reconfiguring Humanising Pedagogies As/with Decolonising Pedagogies, South African Journal of Education, 38(4): 1-11. doi:10.15700/saje.v38n4a1699.
Zembylas, M. 2024. Revisiting the notion of critical thinking in higher education: theorizing the thinking-feeling entanglement using affect theory, Teaching in Higher Education, 29(6): 1606-1620.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
This report has been published by the Inclusive Society Institute
The Inclusive Society Institute (ISI) is an autonomous and independent institution that functions independently from any other entity. It is founded for the purpose of supporting and further deepening multi-party democracy. The ISI’s work is motivated by its desire to achieve non-racialism, non-sexism, social justice and cohesion, economic development and equality in South Africa, through a value system that embodies the social and national democratic principles associated with a developmental state. It recognises that a well-functioning democracy requires well-functioning political formations that are suitably equipped and capacitated. It further acknowledges that South Africa is inextricably linked to the ever transforming and interdependent global world, which necessitates international and multilateral cooperation. As such, the ISI also seeks to achieve its ideals at a global level through cooperation with like-minded parties and organs of civil society who share its basic values. In South Africa, ISI’s ideological positioning is aligned with that of the current ruling party and others in broader society with similar ideals.
Email: info@inclusivesociety.org.za
Phone: +27 (0) 21 201 1589
Web: www.inclusivesociety.org.za
Comments