Jerri Daboo

I think when we are looking at this idea of decolonization, alongside questions of diversity, equality, inclusion exclusion, it's really important that we take into account that decolonization has become quite a buzzword or a buzz idea of something that everybody needs to be doing. And if we do this, then that means that we've sort of sorted out all these issues relating to diversity, anti-racism, and so on. But it's important that we really understand all of these things together. So that if we think that decolonization is meaning, I will, I'll look at my reading lists, and I'll ensure that there are writers from non-Western countries on it, then that's fine, then we're done, then that's actually not helping at all, and thinking about the structures that we really need to take into account when looking at these issues of diversity and equality. And sometimes I think decolonization can can mask those other issues, because there's other things are much harder to deal with. Because they require really deep, honest conversations amongst staff and students about what can we really do to change these systems? So I think we need to consider these structural inequalities, and how do we deal with those -- and decolonization becomes part of those conversations and strategies that we need to develop. But it's not an end means in itself in isolation. So certainly, we do need to look at this, we need to look at the ways that we think, at the ways that we talk about things, about what we are teaching; not just what we are teaching the how we teach. So this isn't even just about the subjects or about the texts or the theories, it's also we need to look at things like assessments is really important, because why is the essay become the dominant form? And who is that privileging in certain ways? Are there other forms of assessment that are maybe more accessible in in different kinds of ways. So I think all of these areas are important, and that we don't get distracted, as I said, by just the focus on decolonization, but need to look at all of these other areas alongside that, and hopefully, the decolonization discussion will prompt into those other areas. But I think we need to really face some of those uncomfortable conversations as well.