Decolonising the Zimbabwean Secondary Education Curriculum: A Stakeholders’ Perspectives

Abstract

Focusing on Zimbabwe’s secondary education system as the country introduces the Heritage-Based Curriculum (HBC), this book significantly contributes to the discourse on education transformation and decolonisation in Africa. It not only excels in dealing with the remnants of colonialism and excavating the decolonial overtures encapsulated in the HBC, but also attempts to shape further the direction of decolonisation in Africa, and Zimbabwe in particular. To achieve this, the book presents dialogical conversations between the curriculum and various education stakeholders regarding the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge within the Zimbabwean secondary educational framework. Deploying a qualitative research methodology, it pulls together insights through interviews, focus groups, and classroom observations to advance the argument on the need to decolonise the Zimbabwean secondary education curriculum. The conversations reveal a complex landscape of attitudes, with many stakeholders acknowledging the value of Indigenous perspectives in enriching the education landscape. However, significant challenges are noted, which include curriculum constraints, inadequate resources, insufficient training in Indigenous epistemologies, and decolonial methodologies. The book is aptly handy for students and scholars in the fields of Education Policy and Administration, Cultural Studies, Sociology of Education, History, Post-Colonial Studies, Indigenous Studies, and Curriculum Development.