Understanding curriculum ideology : impact of neoliberal ideology in a Namibian context

Abstract

Neoliberalism, the unrestricted, free-market capitalism or economic has become the principal central organising principle for political, economic, and social decision making. Education has been incorporated into this global agenda with more and more countries adopting neoliberal education and/or curriculum reforms. There is a need to explore neoliberalism as a curriculum ideology in the same light as conventional curriculum ideology. That is, there are values, beliefs, and views of the world that ultimately affect the purposes of schooling and the nature of any given curriculum.

Neoliberalism has emerged as the dominant curriculum ideology Namibia even when the official discourse and rhetoric claims to be progressive. Learner-centred education has been the central ideology in basic education in Namibia since independence, however, Test-based accountability, market-like school management initiatives, and high-stakes tests have all become a mainstay of Namibian basic education. In addition to curriculum narrowing, test-based accountability models also contribute to unhealthy schooling habits of competition and anxiety among teachers and students.

Despite research indicating that neoliberal reforms have had detrimental effects on educational quality, in Namibia, these reforms are largely accepted as unproblematic and the meritocracy narrative is widespread. In many ways the neoliberal curriculum in Namibia is resembling the colonial Bantu Education both in practice and social (re)production.