Decolonial Praxis, Education and COVID-19: Perspectives from India (original) (raw)

Today, scholars, especially decolonial thinkers, and activists argue that the hidden legacies of European coloniality provide privilege to society’s elite and unfair advantage to marginalized groups. Decolonial scholars argue that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the education system, pedagogy, and curriculum, are often based on a Eurocentric epistemological foundation. Since the allocation of opportunity in contemporary society is becoming ever more dependent on knowledge and education, this Eurocentric pedagogy, knowledge, and curriculum given to students are very detrimental for their self-development as non-Western students. The outcome of this Eurocentric education is problematic and it becomes a source of great anxiety and concern nowadays. To explore this further, I was invited by Hadje for a conversation. The interview focuses on the case of India’s educational system.