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DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN SCHOOLS
Diversity and inclusion are two issues increasingly being discussed in schools around the
country. There is a growing movement to incorporate children with varying abilities in the
classroom. Less homogeneous schools need curricular changes to accommodate a greater range
of students. It is diver stating that diversity and inclusion have not been yet fully embraced in our
institutions and our societies and illustrated in various videos that are provided in this reading,
such as the video “Why don't you stay in Mexico?” and in the south African class picture where
black and white kids sit separately. Children in the 21st-century classroom come from more
different backgrounds, making it natural that educational settings must educate children about
"diversity" in an effective manner and must thus use pedagogical techniques that improve
comprehension ( Cary Jr, et al., 2020) . Regardless of their cultural background, language, skills,
or impairments, all students should be welcomed and supported in the classroom and given the
greatest chance to learn.
Quality and human rights are the focus of inclusive education. Inclusion is more than just
a matter of semantics and legalese. It's all about treating everyone with dignity and mutual
respect, which means embracing people from all walks of life. Inclusion in education is all about
removing obstacles to learning! Treating all children equally and without prejudice is the goal!
As a result, their use of verbs such as treating suggests that those are treating them with the
power to significantly impact their state and status. However, the meaning of inclusion can be
very broad depending on the content of different settings and frequently depends on the context
in which it is used. The broad concept of equal opportunity in all domains is how some writers
describe inclusion. According to some, the urge to eliminate disparities is based on the principle
of inclusion. Government actions, in particular, might be argued to undercut the objective of an
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inclusive school! With the persistent exclusion of students based on disability and poor academic
achievement and competition and selection between and within schools, Children with
impairments aren’t the only ones who benefit from inclusive practices. All sorts of diversity,
including gender, ethnicity, are covered.
Regardless of their background, ensuring that every kid is a member of the learning
community is one of the most important tasks in education; all students may reach their full
potential and have their skills and limitations acknowledged if the school is inclusive. All
students must have access to a diverse range of educational opportunities for educational
fairness. Students get many educational, social, and cognitive advantages when inclusion and
respect for diversity are prioritized in the educational system.
Children and their families will have to deal with a wide range of different experiences
throughout their lives! Educational institutions are tasked with facilitating the integration of
students from diverse backgrounds and guiding them most professionally feasible. In the
classroom, there has always been a wide range of students. However, it's critical to accept and
make good use of this newfound freedom in today's world.
A child's language results from and is a part of social contact. Families, communities, and
children's connection with each other are critical. Freud and Piaget were both convinced that
personal experiences were the source of knowledge and understanding ( Porter, 2020 ). Because
children may not get the same support at home, school environments must foster an appreciation
for difference and diversity from the perspective of others. Given Freud's view that influences
are formed subconsciously at a young age, practitioners might benefit from encouraging young
people to think positively about difficult subjects, including disabilities, race, gender, and
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socioeconomic background. Rather than keeping these subjects a secret, it is healthier for
children's development if they are freely and intelligently addressed.
Teachers and parents serve as role models for their students; therefore, they should have
a positive attitude and practice to show that they value compassion, justice, equality, and respect
for one another. The early stages of a child growing up and the creation of their personality are
critical times for teaching respect and tolerance to others who are different from oneself, and if
instructors and parents fail to do so, the children will pick up on this behavior. So teachers need
to take a critical look at their attitudes and values to find out what needs to be improved or
changed, better understand the school's diversity, and better recognize possible barriers and how
to overcome them to promote inclusion in the school environment.
Educators may better serve their students by not making assumptions about their learners'
origins, interests, talents, specific needs, and positive characteristics if they refrain from doing
so. The significance of diversity and the best practices for avoiding prejudice must also be kept
front and center. Schools and instructors are responsible for ensuring that anti-discriminatory
practices (and not discrimination) are encouraged in their policies and practices.
Identifying and combating bigotry is an excellent way to live a more inclusive life. A
teacher's job is to stand up for and defend the rights of all of their students. They need to be
aware of it and not excuse it when it occurs. Teachers have a responsibility to uphold the rights
of their students. When we say "rights," we mean the right to be supported, understood, and
educated on what is required of us, how to behave ethically, and how to have a strong feeling of
self-worth and belonging amongst our peers. As parents, we should try to prevent circumstances
in which the kid feels overlooked, that their needs are being disregarded, or that they are inferior
to others.
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References
Mom Confronts Principal after she says Daughter Disciplined over MAGA Gear (full length) -
YouTube
Picture of Black and White Kids Sitting Separately in South Africa Goes Viral • EBONY
'The only kids that disrespect me are black kids': speaker challenges St. Louis high school
students - YouTube
Jeff Bliss, a High School student gives a lesson to his teacher at Duncanville [Original] -
YouTube
‘Why didn’t you stay in Mexico?’ Diversity and inclusion meeting turns volatile at Michigan
school - YouTube
Cary Jr, M. P., Randolph, S. D., Broome, M. E., & Carter, B. M. (2020, November). Creating a
culture that values diversity and inclusion: An action‐oriented framework for schools of
nursing. In Nursing Forum (Vol. 55, No. 4, pp. 687-694).
Porter, G. L. (2020). Meeting the challenge: Inclusion and diversity in Canadian
schools. EDUCATION CANADA-TORONTO- , 44 (1), 48-51.