Epistemic unlearning: reflections on official formal education curriculum and decoloniality

This text aims at addressing some historical and conceptual elements that anchor the decolonial discussion in order to contribute to the debate on the dimension of the formal/official curriculum as a narrative of selected concepts. It represents part of a culture defined as valid for composing the curricula, legitimized and guided by Curriculum Theories and Policies, constructed and managed by interests that guide them in different historical moments. For this, we carried out a literature review based on authors who theoretically support these discussions. The results showed that the decolonial option is an epistemic option that also means learning to unlearn and, for that, epistemic (theoretical) disobedience is necessary. Based on the study, we assume that this disobedience must undoubtedly be part of the elaboration of curricular policies and official curricula of formal education, and may, therefore, constitute an alternative to deconstruct what was built from modernity/ coloniality.