Call for Papers Invitation for the upcoming DECUS Conference

Rooting Secondary Education: Decolonial Practices Addressing (Neo)colonial Realities

DECUS Conference

The DECUS Project (Decolonising Curricula in Secondary Schools) invites educators, researchers, students, community organisers, teacher trainers, and practitioners to submit abstracts for the DECUS Conference Rooting Secondary Education: Decolonial Practices Addressing (Neo)colonial Realities.

Unlike many academic calls, we intentionally welcome contributions that discuss tensions, contradictions, setbacks, and unsuccessful attempts. We believe that honest reflection on the messiness of educational change is essential for collective learning.

What are we looking for?

We welcome contributions grounded in practice, including:

· Curriculum development

· Teaching and Learning Practices

· Institutional Barriers

· Pedagogical Tensions

· Community Engagement

· Policy Implementation

· Lessons learned from failure

· And attempts to create more inclusive and socially just educational environments

Themes

Coloniality of Power

Reconfiguring institutional hierarchies, grading policies and disciplinary authority.

Coloniality of Knowledge

Validating non-Eurocentric epistemologies, local histories and indigenous sciences.

Coloniality of Being

Affirming the humanity, languages and lived realities of marginalized students.

Coloniality of Mind

Undoing internalized inferiority and Eurocentric standards of success.

Coloniality of Gender

Dismantling colonial and patriarchal gender binaries.

Coloniality of Nature

Moving from exploitation toward ecological reciprocity.

Coloniality of Spirit

Creating space for localized cosmologies and ancestral knowledge.

Digital Coloniality

Confronting algorithmic bias and educational surveillance.

Submission Requirements

Applicants are asked to submit:

·A title (maximum 15 words)

· An abstract (maximum 300 words)

· A proposed interactive session format

· A short contributor biography

· Abstracts may be submitted in English, Spanish, French, Dutch, Italian, or Arabic.

Important Dates

Abstract submission deadline:

30 November 2026

Selected proposals will be invited to contribute to the DECUS Conference, which will take place on 5-7 April 2026 in Brussels, Belgium.

For detailed information on the themes, session formats, evaluation criteria, and submission process, please consult the full Call for Papers document

To submit your proposal, fill out the Google Form

For questions, please contact: decus@quest-eu.org