The politics of decolonising the curriculum through adopting mother tongue instruction in a South African historically disadvantaged university setting

Abstract This paper focuses on the dynamics of decolonising the curriculum by adopting mother tongue language as a medium for instruction in South African universities. There has been growing criticism on the slow pace of decoloniality within university spaces amid mounting challenges of lack of development in society. The paper speaks to the experiences of historically disadvantaged universities regarding adopting mother tongue instruction, especially considering the complexities and contradictions posed by institutional culture and epistemological traditions. The paper presents insights into how a decolonial perspective can assist in ridding African universities of epistemological and pedagogical practices that hinder decolonial efforts and broader societal development. The paper focuses on the synergies between mother tongue instruction and curriculum transformation in light of the contradictions associated with the use of the mother tongue that could enhance students’ epistemic access and success. It thus presents opportunities and controversies surrounding the introduction of the language policy, especially among historically disadvantaged universities. A Kaupapa Māori approach philosophical lens of reimagination evoked during the 1980s revolution becomes a central theoretical framework. It helps understand how indigenous philosophies can be essential in decolonising African knowledge and epistemological traditions. In this regard, the paper concludes that applying the Kaupapa Māori approach—and in particular, the principle of reimagination on the curriculum transformation in African universities (especially the formerly disadvantaged ones)—can propel a decolonial drive. The paper resulted from experiential knowledge and observations, informal interviews targeting students and scholars and empirical evidence from previous studies.