Multi Culturalism Notes from UCC lectures Sept-Dec 2010

 Cultural Diversity in schools : Challenges and Opportunities

DIVERSITY 

• Gender
• Special Needs
• Linguistic Differences
• Ethnicity
• Socioeconomic Background
• Exceptional Abilities
• Race

Bringing Diversity into the classroom :

• One must question themselves as a person their ethics, values, family background, identity
• Look at the media outside tv, what do pupils watch does it have topical subject matter like racial issues,identity issues, social issues that make it relevant to pupils today. Looking at current events.
• Images of War, Hunger and diseases
• Lack of information and communication and awareness of Diversity can create hostile atmosphere, discrimination,bullying,racism and least likely case Violence.

I the teacher must welcome, encourage and celebrate diversity with in the classroom ! 

Challenges that face us the teacher in the ever changing evolving society of today include:

• Language and other Issues -   Different ways of expression, Lack of understanding of children's background, Confusion on how to relate to international children on the class room situation

• Religion - Religion is an important aspect of our lives, there are children from diverse religious background in our schools,most children take part in Communion and Confirmation just to get involved and have a sense of belonging. The celebrating of other religions to show pupils that not everyone is the same and can provide an interesting insight for the other pupils, although it is important to say those pupils who are of different religion and may not want to celebrate such festivals and feel different and unvalued at this time.

With Ireland's changing demographics and children of diverse cultural,racial and ethic backgrounds, our education system is becoming more exciting, more complex and more challenging. Our ability to respond and be enriched by these challenges will determine the success of our children.

As teachers we need to assess our biases about people from different cultures, plan lessons with multicultural context in mind, learn how to deal with sensitive personal topics,educate ourselves by becoming sensitive to racial,ethnic and cultural groups in the class. Treating everyone as an individual.

Deal with racist or discriminatory behaviours when they emerge in class, its important to re-visit and reinforce policies on behaviour, equality and racism, making use of inclusive language in the classroom.