Ancient aesthetics and their narratives determine Western Europe's cultural heritage and self-image and are deeply embedded in many (if not all) Western-oriented educational systems.
Artefacts are multifaceted knowledge former and invite us to time travel.
Depending on the value context in which we investigate their embedded practical knowledge, they even help us reflect on our cultural values and identity; yet, since they belong to our cultural canon, they often keep us from outgrowing conventions and implicit biases, especially in societies built on self-confirming supremacy thinking.
But how can we overcome privileged entitlement when the school systems expose students to Western-focused or Eurocentric curricula that are not diverse enough to prepare them to navigate a multicultural world?
1. Acknowledge privileged thinking and diversify exposure.
Together with my Theory of Knowledge class, we visited the Green Vault in Dresden, Germany, to discuss how current knowledge is shaped by its historical development and how values affect acquiring knowledge through artefacts. When we came across the representation of the white-marbled Venus carried in a palanquin by two Africans, students were immediately irritated and discussed their uneasiness and value clash.
The international students who weren't Europeanised found the sculptures irritating because they mainly saw the racist set-up of a white woman carried by black men.
Since my European students were more exposed to her appearance in various contexts, they naturally saw her as a positive component of their culture, representing the ultimate beauty beyond the physical. Hence, they weren't only focusing on the colonial and racist context; after a discussion and looking at other cultural representations, they felt the serious implication of the unbearable contrast between white beauty and black labour.
While appreciating their cultural identity, they understood with compassion that Venus' appearance not only confirms the origin of the Western concept of beauty but her composition and the set-up also manifest our privileged thinking. Visual representations of concepts are powerful memory catalysts.
Acknowledging this and that white and Western-supreme privileges are manifested in our knowledge sources was vital at that moment.
To embrace these moments of boon irritations in our students, we must furtherly consistently decolonise our curriculum and sources to diversify exposure and minimise implicit bias and privileged entitlement.
When building on solid decolonised school systems, these irritations would help us not only to have fruitful discussions within the classroom but also create an impulse and drive in our learners to be active but humble changemakers.
2. Teach about Colonialism through Narratives to Let Empathy, Compassion and Inclusion Grow.
Part of decolonising the syllabi is teaching about Colonialism. That cannot happen as a separate unit - we should instead embed teaching about it in various units across ALL subjects to naturally integrate it in the units taught.
Eye-opening books like Barracoon, The Story of the Last Slave, written by Zora Neale Hurston, could - no should! - enter the book canon lists. Cudjo Lewis' first-hand memories, which were finally published after 90(!) years build an enormous narrative testimony that gives us far more detailed knowledge. "We become time travellers, experiencing unforgettable moments of grace and sorrow, drawing haunting parallels between the past and present" (Natalie Baszile).
Empathy and compassion through stories are great adjuvants to start deep learning about Colonialism, especially for identifying current colonial implications. Ergo, students take more risks and feel safe sharing their personal post-colonial stories, which helps turn classes into authentic, more inclusive learning communities.
Even though teenagers might need time to follow their moral compass to enhance their social skills, especially after COVID-19, to actively participate in creating a culturally responsive learning environment, their narrative through storytelling makes them own this journey, and discussions become student-led. Hence, storytelling can become a platform for students to share their post-colonial experiences and develop empathy, which engages them and their classmates in the learning process far more authentically.
Again, the emotional understanding that the students developed in the Green Vault and the stories they shared in front of the artefact made a profound difference. The narrative-driven discussion became a transformative tool.
3. Seize the chance to learn from fundamental contrasting paradigms.
Banning similar artefacts or books like Pipi Longstocking that shaped several European generations of children should not be the solution. Instead, Astrid Lindgren's character is identity-forming. Still, various passages, such as those in the book "Taka-Tuka Land" or the story "Lotta is a Slave", need careful consideration for how to use it in the classroom. If we banned those books altogether, we would miss out on a valuable chance to learn more about how to deal with the knowledge of all forms and the context of the time, identify and understand conflicting values and finally appreciate the paradigm shift that shaped our here and now. Thoughtful journeys of investigating sources that show colonial implications are character-building and, simultaneously, allow other works to replace or supplement, offering different diverse and global perspectives and challenging post-colonial mindsets are invaluable enrichment for any curricula taught.
Thus, it is not enough that the Green Vault informed the visitor that they had removed one inappropriate word from the title and added "historic title" to the artefact "A palanquin with Venus and Cupid carried by two xxx". It needs a critical analysis to comprehend the contrast between Venus and the black Africans reflectively because elaborating on artefacts stimulates reflective investigations in all and not only in a few that know about the ancient Greek and Roman mythology or somehow know that Venus is embedded in their culture, which can soft wash critical thinking.
The book Born in Blackness. Africa, Africans, and the Making of the Modern World, 1471 to the Second World War, written by Howard W. French, challenges the Western-oriented worldview on history, hence, our historical identity par excellence. It does not lead our common historiographies ad absurdum. However, it liberalises various manifested supremacy views on it. It shows how much we intentionally ignored the vital role of Africa in Europe's and the Western world's rise, relieving ignored causations and accentuating the tragic relationship between the two.
It is, consequently, unnecessary to delete or eliminate works that are cultural identity-building. We should instead consciously decide on what skills we and our students need to develop to investigate books, artefacts and other knowledge formats critically and then integrate them into our syllabi, allowing for both cultural identity-building and learning about paradigm shifts and their impact on our current mindsets.
Curricula design, teaching and learning practices must be reflected in accredited policies and codes of conduct to ensure shared practices, supporting all stakeholders in transforming into a diverse, equitable and inclusive school.
Yet, without decolonising ALL systems we have in schools, including the overarching ones in international schools like the IB syllabi, authentic diversity, equity, and inclusion, as nicely phrased in our vision and mission statements, will prevail as wish thinking, occasionally framed by a boon irritation that only reminds us to get started.
Decolonisation builds the fundamental prerequisite.
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