Decolonization is not an educational metaphor: A philosophical reflection on indigenous curriculum practice, land, and the limits of educational reform in Taiwan

Decolonization has become a prominent keyword in educational reform and Indigenous curriculum discourse. This article argues that when decolonization is translated into curricular strategies or reform agendas, it risks losing its force as a political–ethical negativity and becoming an educational metaphor. Drawing on hermeneutic and critical theoretical perspectives, the article advances a philosophical interrogation of education rather than a programmatic proposal. It shows that curricular inclusion and cultural responsiveness often leave intact the colonial grammar of schooling embedded in epistemic authority, temporal regulation, and governance-oriented purposes. Through reflection on Indigenous curriculum practices in Taiwan, the article argues that land is not curricular content but an ontological condition of knowledge, relational ethics, and subject formation. It concludes by articulating the limits of curriculum reform, insisting that decolonization matters for education only insofar as it exposes the boundaries of schooling as a modern technology of governance.