Decolonisation of Education in Public Primary Schools in South Africa: Challenges of Integration and Adaptation for the Way Forward

Abstract

Over the last decade, debates concerning the decolonisation of education have centred mainly within higher education. This research attempts to address this gap by examining in-service teachers’ preparedness to implement a decolonised curriculum in public primary schools. Methodologically, the study employed an explanatory mixed-methods research design informed by a pragmatic research paradigm. The sample group included 150 in-service teachers from seven public primary schools in the Foundation Phase, all of whom completed questionnaires. This was followed by 96 teachers who participated in focus group interviews across the seven schools. The findings revealed a generally optimistic outlook among the sampled participants regarding in-service teachers’ preparedness for decolonising education. While the results broadly demonstrate a degree of agreement that some resources, policy support, and stakeholder commitment exist for implementing a decolonised curriculum, they simultaneously reveal notable neutrality and uncertainty. Bureaucratic government policies, resource inadequacy, language-related tensions, political influences, and inadequate stakeholder engagement – with communities, schools and government – were revealed by participants as significant barriers to the realisation of decolonised practices in schools. The study contributes empirically to the death of research by demonstrating disparities in perceived readiness across subjects, with Humanities exhibiting greater readiness than STEM subjects, which showed comparatively lower confidence. The study recommends contextually grounded, system-wide support for meaningful curriculum transformation.