Unmasking Colonial Legacies in Zambian Education: A Philosophical and Historical Critique of the Secondary School Curriculum

This article offers a critical examination of the colonial legacies embedded within Zambia’s national secondary education curriculum through historical and philosophical inquiry. Drawing on postcolonial theory and decolonial epistemologies, it interrogates the curriculum’s origins, content, and pedagogical orientations that continue to reflect Eurocentric paradigms at the expense of indigenous knowledge systems. Historically, Zambian formal education was structured by missionary and colonial administrators whose curriculum objectives prioritized Western intellectual traditions, marginalizing local contexts and cultural relevance. Philosophically, the article engages thinkers such as Paulo Freire, Frantz Fanon, and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o to challenge the epistemic violence of curricular structures that perpetuate dependency and cultural subjugation. Through critical analysis of policy documents and curriculum frameworks, the study reveals how education in Zambia remains tethered to colonial foundations that shape national identity, social stratification, and pedagogical practice. The paper advocates for a reimagined secondary curriculum that centers African philosophies, democratic participation, and cultural pluralism. By unmasking these colonial residues, this study contributes to the broader discourse on educational decolonization and offers strategic insights for curriculum transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Decolonization; Curriculum Reform

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