Integration of African Indigenous Knowledge Systems in TVET for Epistemic Justice and Sustainable Development

Abstract

Efforts to decolonise higher education have been primarily focused on universities, while technical and vocational education and training (TVET) has been overlooked. Consequently, Eurocentric ways of knowing continue to dominate and shape curricula, influencing operations in this sector. This conceptual article, situated within a decolonial framework, examines how the integration of African Indigenous knowledge systems into curricula, pedagogy, and assessment can promote epistemic justice in the Global South TVET sector, thereby supporting sustainable development. This study employs a qualitative conceptual and literature-based approach on a critical review of existing literature. This article argues that the integration of African Indigenous knowledge systems in TVET is essential because it will help eradicate epistemic injustices, amalgamate both local Indigenous knowledge and global knowledge systems, and foster skills development to address societal problems and promote sustainable development. This article concludes by proposing curriculum and policy reforms to legitimise Indigenous ways of knowing in vocational education in the Global South for sustainable development.