The Future of Education

Education, as a site of knowledge transmission and cultural reproduction, plays a critical role in shaping collective memory, societal values, and identity (Bentrovato & Van Nieuwenhuyse, 2020). Global movements such as Black Lives Matter and Rhodes Must Fall have exposed how education systems perpetuate Eurocentrism and marginalize alternative epistemologies, sparking calls for decolonization (Bhambra et al., 2018). In Belgium, this urgency is pronounced given the nation’s colonial legacy, marked by violence and exploitation that remain largely absent from public discourse and education (Castryck, 2006; Landmeters, 2017). Drawing on 32 semi-structured interviews and a focus group, this research examines how secondary school teachers in francophone Belgium perceive their agency in teaching colonial history, focusing on the tensions between the curriculum’s Eurocentric foundations and emerging decolonial movements. The findings reveal that while many teachers express a genuine desire to engage more critically with colonial legacies, their efforts are constrained by adherence to foundational principles like neutrality, objectivity, and scientificity, which often reinforce Eurocentric narratives. Grounded in decolonial theory and whiteness studies, this study highlights how teachers can challenge systemic inequities and reimagine education’s role in fostering historical justice and equity. These findings contribute to broader discussions on decolonial education, offering practical recommendations for policymakers, teacher training programs, and curriculum designers. In Belgium’s context, this work underscores the importance of addressing historical silences and the structural inequalities that persist within its education system.