Perspective Chapter: Silencing the Future – The Impact of Curriculum Restrictions on the Voices and Agency of Marginalised Students in South Africa

This critical qualitative case study investigates the impact of efforts to ban culturally responsive curricula on marginalised students. Drawing on critical race theory and postcolonial theory, the research examines how these restrictions, observed internationally and in South Africa, influence student identity, agency, and resistance. Such restrictions are seen as mirroring historical attempts to perpetuate systemic inequalities by erasing the histories and experiences of marginalised groups, such as Black South Africans. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, including a comprehensive literature review and a document analysis of policy documents, news articles, and student testimonies. Findings reveal that curriculum restrictions reinforce systemic inequalities, silence student voices, and foster feelings of invisibility. However, the study also illuminates how marginalised students resist these restrictions through various forms of agency, such as creating counter-narratives, forming alternative learning spaces, engaging in civil disobedience, and using digital platforms to amplify their voices. The study highlights the urgent need for inclusive and equitable educational policies that prioritise the voices and experiences of marginalised students to promote social justice within educational spaces.