Ending Curriculum Violence and Academic Ancestral Worship: An Afrocentric Perspective on Decolonising Higher Education in Africa

Abstract

There have been multiple contributions to the decolonisation agenda in Africa since the onset of calls to decolonise education under the auspices of the #RhodesMustFall protests in South Africa. Nevertheless, these efforts have not resulted in the realisation of a truly decolonised higher education. The present study was built on the premise that decolonising higher education requires a deep analysis of how the perpetuation of academic ancestral worship has been used to maintain the dominance of Western epistemologies at the expense of indigenous peoples. Although closely related, this study conceptualised curriculum violence as how the curriculum reinforces imbalances in knowledge production systems while academic ancestral worship is understood as the veneration of Western academic traditions and scholarships over indigenous knowledge and scholars. To effectively argue for an Afrocentric position on ending these pervasive forms of colonialism in education, the researchers used a literature review methodology, which entailed meticulously searching for published literature using keywords. The study’s findings highlight the need to commit to social justice and equity to liberate and transform higher education in Africa using a model that advocates for Afrocentric knowledge creation, validation, and dissemination. This study also raises awareness of curriculum violence and academic ancestral worship. It further increases understanding of their impact on marginalised communities to inform policy and decision-making in educational institutions and lead to the implementation of more inclusive and equitable curricula and practices. Keywords: Academic Ancestral Worship, Curriculum Violence, Decolonisation, Epistemology, Higher Education