Possibilities For Anti-colonial Education: A Comparative Study Of Ibon Foundation And The Elementary Teachersâ Federation Of Ontario

Education has historically been rooted in colonial subjugation. Throughout the past five centuries, Indigenous people in the Philippines and Canada actively resisted such systems of oppression in their struggles for self-determination. This comparative case study examines contemporary examples of such resistance through a historical lens. Specifically, how organizations like IBON in the Philippines and the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) in Canada engage in the production of alternative classroom material as a tool for critical education. I examine how the scope and methods of IBON's production of classroom material such as journals and textbooks reveal its comprehensive analysis of the education system. In Canada, I examine how ETFO's reflexive analysis of education is revealed through its production of the Social Justice Begins With Me literature-based guides. In literature addressing issues in Canada's education system, structural solutions and alternatives are seldom addressed. This paper aims to propose a course of action towards sustainable education for all. Insights from both case studies speak to a need to build power through collaboration to continually challenge state dominance over the education system. I conclude by proposing points of analysis for consideration for a sustainable intervention into education.