Ministry rewriting history teaching with ancestral storytelling

In a radical shift from a colonial perspective that has dominated Barbadian education, schoolchildren are to learn their history through the stories of their ancestors rather than from colonisers’ accounts, senior education officials have announced.

As part of reforms to decolonise the education system, the curriculum is to move away from “remnants of a colonial education” towards celebrating heritage and cultural identity, Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw revealed in a public lecture on Thursday.

“Imagine a classroom where our children learn about the history of Barbados not just through the lens of imperial powers but through stories of our ancestors, the resilience of our people, and the richness of our cultural heritage,” she told attendees at the lecture on Transforming Education: The Journey to Decolonisation, Equity, and Social Change.

With a call to adopt ‘Ubuntu’, the African principle meaning “I am because we are” as a guiding philosophy in local education, the education chief said: “By embracing Ubuntu, we can weave together lessons that go beyond the textbook, teaching students about kindness, responsibility, and the power of unity.”

The Ministry of Education has already begun collaboration with the National Cultural Foundation and the Division of Culture to incorporate elements of Barbadian heritage, including music, steel pan, and traditional games, into the national curriculum, she said.

Insisting on the need for a new approach to education in Barbados, the chief education officer noted that, despite progress since emancipation, the educational system is still marked by colonial influence, which shapes the current curriculum and classroom values.

“It is no longer enough to use the remnants of a colonial education. It is time to remove our lenses and deconstruct our views of education and reconstruct systems that are fair, inclusive, relevant, and modern,” she said.

Archer-Bradshaw painted a vision of classrooms where children would learn about the resilience and achievements of their people, rather than viewing history through an imperialist perspective.

Beyond cultural relevance, the ministry’s roadmap includes expanding skills training to equip students for today’s job market.

“Curricular offerings will also be expanded to include study in areas which are more relevant to national, regional, and international needs,” Archer-Bradshaw noted, mentioning future-oriented subjects like life sciences, financial literacy, coding, and robotics.

Dr Paul Murphy, who heads the ministry’s Change Management Unit, also shared the ministry’s vision for a long-term transformation journey, emphasising that while the changes required would take time, the ministry is committed to reshaping the system.

“We say journey deliberately because this is not going to happen overnight,” he stressed.

Murphy further outlined plans to introduce inclusive policies and a comprehensive curriculum review to ensure students gain valuable skills for future careers in emerging sectors, such as the green and blue economies.

He also revealed structural changes within the Ministry of Education itself, including a teaching service commission, a quality assurance body, and a leadership institute to foster a supportive environment for educators.

shannamoore@barbadostoday.bb