Colonial Shadows, Classroom Walls Race, Power, and Pedagogical Reform

  • Manjari E
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  • Manjari E

    Student at CHRIST (Deemend to be University), India

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Abstract

Even decades after formal decolonisation, the architecture of education in many parts of the world remains tethered to colonial ideologies. From the dominance of Eurocentric curricula to the marginalisation of indigenous languages and knowledge systems, modern classrooms often serve as quiet enforcers of racial and epistemic hierarchies. This article examines how colonial power continues to shape educational institutions globally, tracing its legacy through curricular content, language policy, institutional governance, and pedagogical practices. By analysing key legal cases—such as Brown v. Board of Education (USA), Indra Sawhney v. Union of India, and the T.M.A. Pai Foundation case—alongside student-led decolonisation movements like Rhodes Must Fall and Fees Must Fall, the article explores the intersection of race, power, and resistance in contemporary education. It argues that decolonising pedagogy requires more than content revision; it demands dismantling the racialised structures of knowledge production and embracing pluralistic, community-rooted, and inclusive approaches to learning. The piece concludes with a roadmap for transformative pedagogical reform, where classrooms become not only sites of instruction but also spaces of justice, healing, and liberation

Keywords

  • Decolonisation
  • Pedagogy
  • Colonial legacy
  • Curriculum reform
  • Race and education
  • Epistemic injustice
  • Student protests
  • Language policy
  • Institutional racism
  • Inclusive knowledge production

Type

Research Paper

Information

International Journal of Law Management and Humanities, Volume 8, Issue 3, Page 851 - 866

DOI: https://doij.org/10.10000/IJLMH.119722

Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution -NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits remixing, adapting, and building upon the work for non-commercial use, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Copyright © IJLMH 2021