Moving From the Periphery to the Centre: Re/Framing Decolonial Educational Innovation in the Caribbean

Abstract

This conceptual paper explores the relationship between innovation and decoloniality in education, arguing that educational innovation must go beyond technocratic solutions to challenge the colonial legacies embedded in curricula, teaching methods, and institutional frameworks. Mainstream models of educational reform in the Caribbean often reproduce colonial, Eurocentric ways of knowing and uphold global knowledge hierarchies under the guise of modernization, thus there is a need for new ways of thinking about educational barriers and system change. This article introduces the term “decolonial educational innovation,” which highlights the integration of Indigenous knowledge systems, the value of diverse epistemologies, and the support of culturally relevant, community-led pedagogies. Drawing on real examples from decolonial education efforts from the Caribbean, the article demonstrates how innovation can be understood as a relational and restorative process rather than a neoliberal goal. Ultimately, it advocates reimagining educational futures a tool to advance epistemic justice and dismantle coloniality in all its forms.