The present secondary education system in Kiribati is little changed from its establishment and growth through the colonial years when the island group was known as the Gilbert Islands. It is marked by a heavy emphasis on English language and a curriculum geared to place students in a limited labour market. It is also marked by an uneven distribution of privilege across the population it serves. This article suggests a theoretical basis for critiquing the dominant voices in the educational and colonial past and their representations of Kiribati others. In such a critique, the legitimising technologies and discursive practices that have helped shape these educational practices are exposed. The act of exposing "how they did it" in turn creates the conditions for more equitable educational futures. This article presents a critical postcolonial discourse analysis of some language and language teaching policies from the Kiribati educational and colonial past. Though focused on Kiribati, the ideas here have relevance across the Pacific region.