At the cultural interface: Colonial ideas in Zambia's contemporary early literacy policies

Using the concept of the Cultural Interface (CI), this study investigated the continuity of colonial ideas in contemporary early literacy policies. The data sources consisted of semi-structured interview scripts and key documents presenting Zambia’s, the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) and World Bank’s early literacy policy ideas. These sources were analysed using the Thought Ritual process. The analysis reveals a continuity of colonial ideas, particularly the notion that Indigenous people lack a knowledge system to foster Western civilisation or economic development. To justify colonial ideas, Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) were framed as primitive, even though the term ‘poverty’ is used in the contemporary era. During the colonial era, civilisation was to be fostered through adapted education and mass literacy. After the colonial era, this foundation was mainly used for self-determination—to control and continue developing Western institutions after the departure of the British Empire. This manifests in simplified early literacy policies geared towards poverty reduction through gender equality, health and a heavy emphasis on the technical ability to read Indigenous languages, while sidelining the broader integration of IKS. This paper provides new insights into coloniality by highlighting the subtle but persistent ways colonial ideas are embedded in contemporary early literacy policies and their effects on IKS in Zambia.