“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.” – Stephen Covey, American educator. Encouraging all students to express themselves freely and in a fair environment helps with their different backgrounds. On top of that, inclusion and diversity promote acceptance and prepare students for the diverse world.
Besides, creating an environment that welcomes and supports all students promotes an easier understanding of classwork and extra-curricular activities. Here, you’ll see the need for these two aspects in education and why every secondary school in Singapore should promote diversity and inclusion.
But first, what do these include? Let’s explore.
Diversity and Inclusion in Education: What Do They Entail?
Diversity in education involves the presence of students from different cultures, backgrounds, and identities in the classroom. On the other hand, inclusion creates the perfect environment to welcome and support all students despite their unique differences.
When going through secondary school admission and learning, students must feel free to express themselves, despite their differences. Feeling left out prevents them from achieving their full potential, thus the need to promote inclusion and diversity in education.
Benefits of Inclusion and Diversity
A good learning environment does the following for students:
- Improved Learning of Lessons and People
Students better understand the subject matter when working with people from different cultures and backgrounds. Learners understand how to utilise their strengths and ideas to promote a diverse learning environment.
- Improved Empathy
Promoting a personal connection with different cultures in the classroom prevents students from developing prejudices later in life. Secondary school forms a solid foundation for learners, so they interact better in and after college. Since learners are more aware of experiences faced by different races and groups, they become more accommodative.
- Open Mindedness
As expected, exposing students to different opinions, cultural backgrounds, and thoughts encourages them to be more open-minded. As a result, they allow new ideas and concepts in and outside the classroom. By taking in different points of view, teachers encourage students to understand topics better.
- Students Feel Safe and More Confident
Learners with unique backgrounds feel safe around others with different capabilities and cultures. They interact freely while studying and carrying out school activities. They also form good relationships and interactions, thus building confidence among student groups.
- Learners are Better Prepared for DIverse Workplaces
Globalisation makes it more important for students to work with individuals from diverse groups and backgrounds. By learning diversity and inclusion in the classroom, learners are set up to flourish in the workplace.
- Breaking Down Barriers
Inclusion and diversity break down racial and cultural barriers. Ultimately, existing in the same environment allows learners to be non-discriminative and reduce prejudice. This allows students to learn and explore while feeling appreciated despite their differences.
Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in Education: How to Do It
Teachers and administrators must ensure the learning environment aligns with the ever-evolving society. The following strategies are perfect for encouraging students to uphold their sense of identity and promote inclusion among themselves:
Understand Learners
Teachers in the Cambridge School in Singapore promote cultural awareness by understanding each student individually. Learning about each student’s culture, learning style, hobbies, and unique personality establishes trust.
Above that, instructors form strong bonds with learners, making them feel appreciated and valued. Therefore, they remain respectful to teachers and peers thanks to the comfortable learning environment and excellent communication channels.
Be Consistent with Communication
Getting to know your students is one step. Teachers must also maintain constant communication throughout the school year. Holding one-on-one meetings with students allows them to discuss their feelings about the classroom culture. This way, teachers identify issues among learners and the best ways to make them more adapted to schoolwork.
Respect and Acknowledge All Students
Students must embrace and celebrate their own and each others’ differences. At the same time, teachers should encourage their learners to learn more about what makes them unique. Doing so helps them understand more about themselves and their differences with peers. By acknowledging every student, teachers create a safe discussion space, promoting unity in and outside the classroom.
Encourage Cultural Sensitivity
Maintaining an open communication channel is recommended, but instructors should remain sensitive to everyone’s beliefs. Instead of using traditional teaching methods, teachers should develop interactive and collaborative learning styles. Such considerations help make students more comfortable to participate in school activities.
Diversify Lesson Plans
Secondary school admissions aim to add value to young students’ minds. Since the learning environment fosters cultural awareness, instructors must make lesson plans inclusive. This is possible through:
- Using diverse learning and teaching materials
- Exposing kids to material representing multiple viewpoints
- Using materials that include different languages, races, cultures, and backgrounds
- Giving real-life examples that students relate to
Encouraging Students to be Flexible and Free
Strict and authoritative approaches work well, but the most memorable lessons are through a student’s experiences. Allowing learners to connect to the curriculum and present their materials fosters learning.
When students approach topics from their perspectives, they connect better. Allow group discussions to expose learners to different points of view and encourage collaboration in class.
This prepares them for a diverse world and workplace since they partner with different people to meet their goals.
Forms of Cultural Diversity in Classrooms
Teachers encounter different types of student diversity in schools. To properly understand and encourage awareness, these instructors must understand the differences in the following:
- Race
An individual’s skin colour impacts their societal experience in certain cases. It also influences how students view themselves and others while interacting in school.
- Religion
Students have diverse religious beliefs, while others are non-religious. This factor influences how learners react to different lessons, thus the need to understand and encourage religious diversity.
- Ethnicity
This relates to a student’s nationality. Although closely mistaken for race, students may have a similar colour but come from different places and hold diverse cultural beliefs.
- Language
English is a common language used in schools. However, students may use a different language at home. Instructors must consider this to accommodate students who use English as a second language.
Diversity and inclusion are must-haves in the classroom. They make for a well-rounded education and have several benefits for teachers, students and society. By incorporating these factors in school, teachers create a fair and just education system where everyone feels valued and respected.