Decolonization in an Educational Context
Decolonization is a process, not a one-time event. It is essential to keep reflecting throughout, and not to be discouraged that it’s not always straightforward. Why This Matters
What the Research Says
Decolonization fits into the broader goals of reconciliation as outlined by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Schools are vital sites for decolonization and student empowerment.
Curriculum is an important aspect of decolonization. Schools need to consider whose knowledge and ways of knowing are given priority.
Key Points Decolonization is the process of undoing colonizing practices. Within the educational context, this means confronting and challenging the colonizing practices that have influenced education in the past, and which are still present today. In the past, schools have been used for colonial purposes of forced assimilation. The TRC reports remind us that residential schools were specifically designed to colonize the mind, the heart, and the spirit.
Nowadays, colonialism is more subtle, and is often perpetuated through curriculum, power relations, and institutional structures.
Decolonized education is rooted in connections to place. Place-based education empowers students and helps restore cultural knowledge. Part of the process of decolonizing education is re-establishing links to the community. Education should not occur in a vacuum, and these links are essential for contextualizing knowledge, deepening understanding, encouraging community involvement, and reconnecting students with a vital support system. It is important, moving forward, to reflect on the goal of education. This reflection often uncovers motives for mandated education deeply rooted in colonialist policy.