Decolonising education in institutions of higher learning

Abstract

To date, the South African education is still grounded and dominated by the colonial and apartheid driven epistemes. This resulted from the type of knowledge and textbooks used in learning institutions that are still of Eurocetric origin and created societal hierarchies. In the process, African indigenous languages were excluded while alien languages were promoted in teaching and learning. It necessitates higher education institutions (HEI) to decolonise education in ways that encourage and acknowledge African perspectives and its values in pedagogical practices. Discussions on the decolonisation of HE emanated from protests in 2015-2016 and in the post-apartheid era. However, gaps still exist in the development of content that caters for the African context and the debate about decolonisation of education is still not fully discussed with confidence. Google Scholar database was utilised to source the relevant literature, where substantial content in peer reviewed articles, books, government documents and news were accessed, retrieved and reviewed. Using this method, the authors attempt to discuss what decolonisation entails and how HEI can reform the curriculum in ways that will make it inclusive with the acknowledgement and the use of African languages in teaching and learning. The article also discusses the support and training needed in the implementation of decolonisation and the use of multilingualism in pedagogical practices.