‘The unofficial curriculum is where the real teaching takes place’: faculty experiences of decolonising the curriculum in Africa

Abstract This paper analyses faculty experiences tackling global knowledge asymmetries by examining the decolonisation of higher education in Africa aftermath 2015 ‘Rhodes Must Fall’ student uprising. An overview literature reveals a rich debate on defining ‘decolonisation’, starting from critique Eurocentrism to propositions alternate epistemologies. These debates are dominated Global North and South their curriculum reform. Our focus is political scientists Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe. countries share same Anglophone science traditions but represent different trajectories that constitute significant condition for discipline. The 26 we interviewed acted toward increasing local content perspectives teaching, as promoted official strategies universities. They noted what was happening lecture halls most important. academic appeared overambitious or even patronising them own context. National politics affected thematic discipline both far research topics students’ employment opportunities were concerned. Although university bureaucracies slow respond proposed curricula changes, new programmes approved if there market-based demand them. International programs tended be fastest. Political economy plays role: dependency foreign funding, limited national resources conduct produce publications vis-à-vis international competition, quality assurance standards critical constraints decolonising curriculum.