Moving Beyond Tolerance - addressing diversity in schools

SEPTEMBER 2016 (29)
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e-Leading September 2016 (29) –
researched and prepared for ACEL
by Marion Piper, Deputy Head of
Junior School, Shelford Girls’ Grammar,
Melbourne, Australia
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M
ulticultural education promoted within
the context of a school’s community
whose educational practices are largely
representative of only the dominant
culture, will marginalise or socially exclude groups
of students considered to be at risk. This is especially
so when the resultant practices of a school’s vision,
values, policies and procedures provide little
or no support to the diverse group of students
within that community. Nieto (1994) presents a
model identifying different levels of multicultural
education support for students identified as being
at risk in their learning. Characterised within this
model is tolerance, acceptance and respect (p. 3–5).
Each of these need to be explored further if we are
to consider necessary changes to schools in order for
them to adopt inclusive practices more appropriate
for the teaching and learning needs of a diverse
group of students.
I am in agreement with Nieto’s assertion that
“tolerance is a low level of support for education”
(p. 3) as ‘to tolerate’ in an educational context means
to endure, allow or put up with, current procedures
and practices. The Melbourne Declaration on
Educational Goals for Young Australians (2008)
values an education within schools that “promote
equity and excellence” where others standing in
solidarity with marginalised groups, enabling
students to become “successful learners, confident
and creative individuals, and active and informed
citizens” (p. 7–8). To promote a higher level of
support in education requires a school to meet the
diverse needs of all its students. The steps needed
to necessitate a shift in attitude beyond tolerance,
acceptance of and welcome for difference includes
reflection of current practice, a willingness for
change, and an approach to promote and execute
change.
Changing a culture within a school is not easy, as
it challenges others to consider the complexities of
current professional practice, proposing that what
is in place is not acceptable, nor perhaps ethical or
legal. For change in educational practice beyond
tolerance to become reality, goals must be set to
determine a shift in attitude and approach within the
school community itself. In order to achieve change,
Nieto (1994) suggests professional development
opportunities and regular meetings to encourage
ongoing dialogue between staff (p. 5). For example,
for staff to move beyond tolerance, acceptance
and respect, there must be “a commitment to
action”. This includes supporting quality teaching
alongside school leadership promoting “equality
of opportunity” through diversity of multicultural
education with the intention of enabling “equitable
outcomes” for all students (p. 10). Acknowledging
that students have different levels and abilities due
to diversity of culture and educational ability may
mean that students require more resources, teacher
time and attention than others.
In order to promote equity and excellence
Moving beyond tolerance:
addressing diversity in
schools
The steps
needed to
necessitate
a shift in
attitude
beyond
tolerance,
acceptance of
and welcome
for difference
includes
reflection
of current
practice, a
willingness for
change, and
an approach
to promote
and execute
change

in education and develop effective means of
challenging existing practice, I am in agreement with
the research conducted by De Palma and Atkinson
(2009) who suggest collective consultation between
appropriate stakeholders, with action to include the
provision of adequate resources for schools as a way
of achieving desired outcomes. Such an approach
has significant educational implications, and would
see the beginning foundations of a move to building
a more inclusive education within a diverse school
community.
Research undertaken by Konza (2008) revealed
that the practice of inclusion of student diversity
provides “opportunities for the development of
appropriate attitudes” towards others (p. 40).
When considering the positive improvements and
implications for multicultural education within
a community, Nieto’s description of affirmation,
solidarity and critique promotes a catalyst for change
in attitude and approach, suggesting that conflict
will be an “inevitable part of learning” due to the
consideration of basic values, equity and social
justice between diverse cultural groups (p. 5). The
podcast by Nieto and Turner (2012) also suggests
that, when a community is prepared to reflect upon
current practice, procedures and policies with
genuine goals and intentions for change, developing
and promoting respectful attitudes is possible. To
promote this, the schools, communities, parents and
caregivers need to be collaborative in their approach.
For example, teachers need to be prepared to
confront their own values, attitudes, prejudices and
bias, and for change to be effective, support within
and beyond the classroom needs to be genuine.
This can be achieved through the school identifying
areas of need and providing professional learning
opportunities for staff to reflect this. To make a move
beyond tolerance takes time and a sustained effort
by all within the community.
When improving upon a curriculum in order to
provide equitable opportunities for all, Riggs and
Due (2010) suggest how ongoing reflection and
assessment of current practice can be a measure
of what a school implements. In Australia, the
commitment by governments to work with all school
sectors to “attract, develop, support and retain
a high-quality teaching and school leadership”
in Australian schools (MCEECDYA 2008) helps
to promote an expectation of supporting and
fostering such reflection. Teachers who are provided
with encouragement and advice, together with
appropriate coaching and mentoring, are able to find
the best ways to facilitate and shape learning. The
need to keep abreast of changes through reflection
facilitates the modification of programs. It is a way
of ensuring effective engagement and promotion of
worthwhile change.
For multicultural education to be effective,
students, families, teachers, and administrators need
to understand and relate to the histories, cultures
and languages of people different from themselves.
As Sleeter and Grant (1994) suggest, there needs
to be a shift in attitude and approach of a school’s
vision, values, policies and procedures. Ongoing
reflection and assessment of current practice will
identify the changes and modifications required
within the curriculum. It is impossible for change
to occur without strong, creative and dialogic
leadership: this must encourage collaboration
amongst staff in regard to what goals need to be
set in order for equitable opportunities for diverse
learners to be achieved. Appropriate and relevant
training needs to be provided in order for change to
be instigated and ethical behaviour to be recognised.
As a result of appropriate actions and measures
in place, the diverse range of students within a
community are supported in order to meet the
educational goals for all young people, regardless
of their race, religion, gender, language or other
differences.
Schools need to move beyond tolerance when
considering how best to support the diversity of
learners in their community. Encouraging staff to
reflect on current practice whilst being provided
with appropriate support and professional learning
opportunities, will build the foundations for them
to improve current practice, creating positive
changes within a school community. The intention
of consistently striving for excellence in order to
provide all students the opportunity to engage and
participate in a curriculum that they genuinely
feel connected to needs to drive change. Ongoing
reflection, setting goals and implementing action
through a collaborative approach amongst the
whole school community is a starting point when
considering how to best guide and shape an effective
multicultural education amongst diverse learners.
References
DePalma, R, Atkinson, E 2009, ‘‘No Outsiders’:
moving beyond a discourse of tolerance to challenge
heteronormativity in primary schools’, British Educational
Research Journal, vol. 35, no. 6, pp. 837–855.
Konza, D 2008, ‘Inclusion of students with disabilities
in new times: Responding to the challenge’, in P Kell, D
Vialle, G Konza, G Vogl (Eds.), Learning and the
learner: Exploring learning for new times. University of
Wollongong, pp. 39–64 available at http://ro.uow.edu.au/
cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1036&context=edupapers
Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training
and Youth Affairs 2008, Melbourne declaration on
educational goals for young Australians, available
at http://www.mceecdya.edu.au/verve/_resources/
National_Declaration_on_the_Educational_Goals_for_
Young_Australians.p
Nieto, S 1994, ‘Affirmation, solidarity, and critique: Moving
beyond tolerance in
multicultural education’, Multicultural Education, vol. 1,
no. 4, pp. 9–12, 35–38, available at http://www.sonianieto.
com/OLD/PDF/Moving%20beyond%20tolerance%20
Mult%20Ed%201994.pdf
Nieto, S, Turner, K 2012, Learning local and global
literacies from students and families [Podcast],
available at http://www.ncte.org/journals/la/podcasts/
september-2012
Riggs, D, Due, C 2010, ‘Friendship, exclusion and power:
A study of two South Australian schools with new arrivals
programs’, Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, vol.
35, no. 4, pp.73-80
Sleeter, CE, Grant, C 1994, Making Choices for
Multicultural Education: Five Approaches to Race, Class
and Gender, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, JJ.
Encouraging
staff to reflect
on current
practice
whilst being
provided with
appropriate
support and
professional
learning
opportunities,
will build the
foundations
for them
to improve
current
practice,
creating
positive
changes within
a school
community

Moving Beyond Tolerance - addressing diversity in schools

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