Curriculum Transformation at a Private Higher Educational Institution: An Exploratory Study on Decolonisation

Decolonisation of higher education is an important subject which has gained much support in public universities in South Africa. While curricular and other changes are currently being implemented in public universities to align with decolonisation goals, there currently does not exist a decolonisation and transformation strategy for private higher education institutions (PHEIs). The private sector’s role in education is becoming increasingly important, with a higher growth rate than that of the public sector. Despite this, most studies on decolonisation continue to reflect the public sector context. There is little scholarly work, if any, that reflects decolonisation initiatives in the private educational sector. However, private higher education has an important role to play in South Africa, and decolonisation is thus also important in this domain. The purpose of this study is to explore ways to transform curricula at a private higher education institution in South Africa. This article, which is an exploratory study, aims at initiating conversations that support curriculum change and to unpack some of the obstacle’s lecturers face regarding transformation at a private tertiary educational institution.