What is decolonisation of the curriculum?

Decolonisation is the disruption and dismantling of colonial structures and behaviours. It is open to interpretation what decolonising means in any given discipline, but it is an opportunity to re-examine what is taught and the way in which it is taught, and to explore how knowledge is produced and whose knowledge is prioritised. Decolonisation in the curriculum is an opportunity to re-evaluate knowledge(s) that reproduce destructive colonial hierarchies, epistemologies, and practices that damage people and planet, and to create a more inclusive and sustainable learning environment for all.

Anti-racism work at the University of Edinburgh closely aligns with the decolonisation movement as racism in the European context is often considered to be a direct legacy of colonial ontologies, in which colonised subjects were viewed as inferior or impure. A helpful definition for thinking about anti-racism is to view it as a personal commitment to challenge and dismantle racism’s practices and structures.

Anti-racism work at the University is led by the Race Equality and Anti-Racist (REAR) Sub-committee. This sub-committee aims to establish an ethos and culture that promotes inclusion, respect and dignity and takes a zero-tolerance approach to any form of discrimination. You can find out more about their work here: Race Equality and Anti-Racist Subcommittee.

Why is it important?

According to data from 2020, just under 1% of professors in the UK identify as black, this equates to 140 people out of more than 21,000.  Furthermore, there is a persistent awarding gap in which Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) students at The University of Edinburgh consistently achieve lower upper-class honours degrees than their white student counterparts. Whilst efforts to decolonise the curriculum and build an anti-racist movement have started to gain traction, there is still much work to do to ensure this is fully embedded across all university structures and processes, and that the responsibility does not sit solely with a small number of individuals.

To support staff to get started with this process, Rayya Ghul has put together a comprehensive Decolonising the Curriculum Hub SharePoint site that includes a range of useful resources. We encourage you to refer to that site alongside the work that has been included on these pages, and to use this as a starting point for examining what an anti-racist and decolonial approach to learning and teaching looks like in your context. Professor Mohini Gray also offers nine recommendations for positive change to narrow the awarding gap and also to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for every student.