Theorising the Politics of Knowledge Production in Curriculum in Zimbabwe

This chapter theorises the politics of knowledge production in order to understand the ways in which Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) could be framed as bases for promoting transformative classroom practices in Zimbabwe. Doing so is necessary as the school curricula of many education systems in postcolonial Africa remain subservient to the Western European epistemology. The trope, transformative uncolonial learning, is employed in order to re-imagine an ethical pedagogy that could result in transformative classroom practices. The argument developed is that history and dance, as implicated in the politics of the black body, could be re-framed as the basis of ethical classroom practices. To achieve this, teachers need to embrace productive pedagogies that promote pluriversality of knowledges as valid and legitimate school knowledge.

Indigenous African Knowledge System (IAKS) Ethos

This chapter discovers the limitations presented by narrow cultural and moral settings and the possibility of incorporating an indigenous African knowledge systems' (IAKS) ethos to redress past injustices, especially diverse cultural values experienced in countries in the ‘global south'. However, the emergence of related protests in communities and student structures in education circles, such as calls to decolonize the curriculum and the #FeesMustFall movement. The effects of colonialism continue to be reflected in social structural settings that uphold those Aristotelian parameters that are notorious for marginalizing the knowledge of the ‘other', specifically in the ‘global south'.

The Ancient Wisdom and Resurgence for Yoga

This chapter aims at connecting ancient wisdom and traditions of yoga by looking at the past with fast-paced, cutting edge natural science that constantly re-invents itself with time. It will unpack and explain both wisdom and experience from the orient against science and experiences from the West. The separation of East and West will give us an opportunity to see connections and boundaries of Western lifestyle as a convenient signpost to why yoga is relevant to society today. Furthermore, the chapter seeks to go beyond spirituality, mythology, and present yoga as a perpetual, evolving practice relevant in today's societies to challenge and engage today's science and medical research.

The Significance of Multicultural Methodologies on African Indigenous Knowledge Research

Throughout history, African indigenous knowledge has been researched using Western-centred methodologies. From the onset, there was a great deal of resistance from indigenous peoples as most of these researchers used ethical considerations that are foreign to local communities. The African indigenous holders emphasise some cultural concepts that are sacrosanct and indispensable to them. This chapter, therefore, seeks to ferrate the significance of Western-centred methodologies vis-à-vis African-centred (Africa-centred, Afrocentric, Africentric, Afrocentricity, and African-worldview) methodologies in the collection of data among African indigenous communities. The concept of sharing (hybrid methodology) provides a platform of reflection especially on protocol and research tools.

The Ambit of Ethics in the South African Academic Institutions

The chapter examines possible use of instruments and processes such as ethical clearance in the institutions of higher learning as subtle means of perpetuating inequality and racial prejudice towards the indigenous people of South Africa who had recently emerged from the scourge of apartheid with a hope of democracy ultimately providing not only freedom of association and speech, but also intellectual freedom. Freedom to produce African-based knowledge by Black African intellectuals pursuing their postgraduate studies and academics whose careers are at formative stages. However, their vision of becoming producers of African Indigenous knowledge is thwarted by subtle and invisible activities that are aimed at perpetuate coloniality in the higher institutions of learning. Sadly, ethical clearance process has possibly been utilized to derail research outputs that some of the old guard from historically white universities are uncomfortable to witness, thus continuing to maintain the colonial status quo.

Towards an African-Centered Model of Learning

This chapter interrogates the current teaching and learning strategies in South African higher institutions of learning in relation to the negligence of cultural aspects. For many years now, the general population in South Africa agitated for the amendment or annulment of the current education system as a means of restoring the African norms and values. The suspension and/or expulsion of some African students from schools due to their adherence to African values is a vivid example of how the education system undermines African cultures and traditions. The chapter deliberated on story telling as one of the methods that is relevant for Indigenous Knowledge Systems. On the central argument of the chapter the authors conversed on colonialisation and its impact on education in South Africa. OBE and the revised national curriculum statement and the crises in South African education system are discussed. The chapter ends by interrogating the possibility of using African Languages in the school curriculum.

Constructivism, Pluralism, and Pedagogy From Below in India

The chapter argues for a synthesis of principles of constructivism with the political and legal dimensions of educational pluralism. This synthesis has been argued to give a determining and central position to pedagogies from below in the process of framing curriculum and organizing teaching learning activities in Indian schools. Constructivism and educational pluralism represent two voices which assert for relying on psychological principles and countering the dangers of political hegemony in educational landscape, respectively. They both talk about the importance of pedagogy from below as a helpful reality focused toolkit for undoing the effects of historical social inequity and breaking the hegemony of dominant class in the process of knowledge construction and dissemination. Integrative role of educational anthropologists with the help of ethnographic research on native communities across the world in developing innovative methods on how can local community knowledge be integrated into formal curriculum and pedagogic practice has been highlighted.

A Decolonial Curriculum Is Everything

This chapter seeks to map how indigenous people and their indigenous knowledge systems are the most researched and written about in the world, yet they are the least understood. The curriculum of the empire and its scientific explanation justified how indigenous knowledge systems should be approached and viewed as well as who has the authority to justify; hence, indigenous knowledge systems were justified as inferior and not worthy of the standard of European knowledge system. In this chapter, Frantz Fanon's thought will be deployed to illustrate how this division of knowledge justifies the perpetuating dehumanisation of indigenous people under the mask of modernisation and globalisation. By deploying decoloniality, Afrocentricity, and Fanonian thought, this chapter seeks to challenge this curriculum that is based on the history of the conquest of Africa that positioned Africa only as a cradle of slaves and the black bodied as created by God only for the benefit of the Europeans.

Fighting for Relevance

South Africa's recent higher education protests around fees and decolonizing institutions have shone a spotlight on important issues and have inspired global discussion. We witnessed similar resistance during apartheid, where African languages and ideas were limited. The educational space was the most affected by clashes between languages and ideas; we saw this in the prioritizing of English and Afrikaans over indigenous African languages and the prioritizing of Western medicine, literature, arts, culture, and science over African ones. This chapter will show how formal education and knowledge production in South Africa has been used as a tool to repress Black people, while discrediting their knowledge systems. This discussion will draw from impepho, which is rejected by Christians because its main use is for communicating with ancestors. The herb has many other medicinal uses, but it is still rejected. African practices are used and revitalized by AIC like the Shembe Church and revolutionary movements like FMF.