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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.