How global citizenship education can contribute to decolonizing knowledge and classrooms in Dutch high schools
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2025-07-10
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en
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This thesis explores how global citizenship education can contribute to the decolonization of knowledge and education in Dutch high schools. There is more need for a citizenship that transcends borders in a world that feels globalized but also unequal. Such inequality is rooted in historical power relations and systems of oppression. Engaging responsibly with this inequality calls for the decolonization of education and knowledge. This thesis answers the question: “How can global citizenship education contribute to the decolonization of education and knowledge in Dutch high schools?”. Through participant observation during global citizenship education project, informal conversations with teachers and students, and interviews, this thesis argues GCE contributes by fostering familiarity with global inequality. Students engaged more with topics they found familiar or relevant. Global citizenship education teaches high school students about their privilege and addresses emotional and political discomfort. It does in other ways disconnect from decolonizing discourses, by teaching in current education systems, that overvalue Eurocentric knowledge. It also risks reinforcing a White Saviourist attitude. Students often avoided unfamiliar or discomforting issues, highlighting a need for guided reflection. For global citizenship education to fully align with decolonial aims, it must adopt a structural, time-intensive approach that values diverse epistemologies.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen