Josefina Lavolpe
This essay explores how Britain’s colonial legacy continues to shape its State Secondary School system, arguing that centralised control and rigid hierarchies persist in modern education. Drawing on historical, political, and cultural analysis, it compares colonial administrative systems with current school governance, questioning whether today’s policies reflect outdated imperial frameworks. Through a comparison with the French colonial model, it highlights common educational legacies and their influence on leadership, accountability, and decision-making. A key argument is that school narratives often mirror colonial ones, where top-down authority restricts autonomy and reproduces rigid structures. Cultural theories, especially from Edward Said and Michel Foucault, are used to explore how these narratives continue to shape policy and teacher agency. The essay concludes by linking colonial governance to modern challenges - such as exam pressures and bureaucratic inefficiencies - and advocates for reforms that promote a more flexible, inclusive, and student-centred system.
