Toward a Relevant De-colonized Curriculum in South Africa: Suggestions for a Way Forward

Abstract

The debate on the de-colonization of universities in South African gained momentum after protests by students through the #FeesMustFall (FMF) and #RhodesMustFall (RMF) movements. At the center of these protests were issues like free access to education, accommodation, removal of apartheid and colonial statues, and the Africanization of the curriculum. Thus, revisiting and reimagining curricula offerings is an important aspect of the current debate on the de-colonization of education at South Africa’s educational sites. To add to the de-colonization debate, this article discusses the concept of relevance in (re)curriculation. The article will discuss the concepts of de-colonization and relevance, readiness in the implementation of new curricula offerings, challenges, and hurdles in curriculum change and important points of reference in achieving a de-colonized curriculum. Literature review and document analysis will be used to shed more light on this topic.

Eurocentric, Westernized, or Afrocentric curriculum in one university in the Eastern Cape: An entrepreneurship approach

“…The apartheid curriculum affected African societies to the core, to the extent that it has become difficult to do things differently and have an education that is different from the one conceived through the influence of colonialism. This has been described by Masenya (2021) as caged colonial mentality. According to Graham (2017) parents are torn between what the "awakening" program in their communities suggests and what takes place in the real world of work as well as the expectations of the international community.…”

“…Kezar et al (2018) point out that the communities of transformation are not resource-proof; therefore, they should be well-funded to help universities achieve their goals. According to Masenya (2021), the revised curriculum is going to cost more because more materials are being developed and the process of teacher orientation will cost more due to the call for more and better teacher preparation.…”