Beyond decoloniality of educational policy and planning: A review of the transcendental political economy of African higher education in the 21st knowledge-based societies

Abstract

This paper critically examines the role of transcendental capabilities in the decoloniality of educational policy and planning, to ascertain how trans-coloniality can enable the African political economy to reposition itself through higher education knowledge management best practices. In this paper, I argued that African educational policy and planning must capture the knowledge hierarchies of African intellectual systems because the knowledge hierarchies are fundamental and responsive tools to the strategic political economy of education. Furthermore, the blend of innovative and endogenous knowledge management practices in higher education will have a responsive impact on institutional governance across the continent. Additionally, the valorisation and revaluation of African knowledge systems through recognising and integrating African theories, methodologies, and conceptual frameworks will reshape the African scientific and political landscapes. This paper anchors on the complex adaptive systems theory. The premise here is identifying the complex knowledge foresight of educational policy and planning, asserting intensification of the indigenisation of knowledge management practices as pragmatic responses to the imperialists’ mentality. This study employed a qualitative research approach with a mixed systematic review of current literature in decoloniality studies, educational policy and planning, political economy and knowledge management in African higher education. The data was categorised into themes, theories, concepts, subregions, journals, articles, book chapters, policy documents, books and methodologies to determine the current body of knowledge and debates on decoloniality as an epistemic object in educational policy and planning research in African higher education. From the critical analysis I propose a “Transcendental Afrocentric knowledge governance model (TAKGM).” The transcendental perspective intends to provide indicators for developing a competitive African knowledge-based economy. Therefore, the decoloniality of educational policy and planning through endogenous knowledge systems represents a strategic approach to building a competitive and responsive higher education in Africa. Emphasising, the transcoloniality of higher education policies and planning will foster endogenous socio-economic development, effective institutional knowledge sovereignty, innovation and knowledge resources mobilisation. These will ultimately promote inclusive growth, robust industrialisation, human capital development, practical institutional assessment, structural transformation, continuous improvement, and efficiency and effectiveness of institutional governance across the continent.