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    Diversity Essay Excerpt Weebly

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    The document discusses factors that can negatively impact student learning experiences in Greater Western Sydney schools, particularly issues related to race and ethnicity. It notes that the area has significant cultural and ethnic diversity, including large Lebanese-Australian and Muslim populations. However, ignorance and inequality still exist in schools, where students from minority backgrounds are often deemed to have cognitive or behavioral deficits rather than social factors being considered. The document examines issues facing Indigenous students in particular, such as lack of family support, substance abuse, and discrimination, which can lead to disengagement. It argues that teachers need to move beyond Eurocentric systems to more inclusive approaches recognizing students' cultural backgrounds.

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    Diversity Essay Excerpt Weebly

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    The document discusses factors that can negatively impact student learning experiences in Greater Western Sydney schools, particularly issues related to race and ethnicity. It notes that the area has significant cultural and ethnic diversity, including large Lebanese-Australian and Muslim populations. However, ignorance and inequality still exist in schools, where students from minority backgrounds are often deemed to have cognitive or behavioral deficits rather than social factors being considered. The document examines issues facing Indigenous students in particular, such as lack of family support, substance abuse, and discrimination, which can lead to disengagement. It argues that teachers need to move beyond Eurocentric systems to more inclusive approaches recognizing students' cultural backgrounds.

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    The document discusses factors that can negatively impact student learning experiences in Greater Western Sydney schools, particularly issues related to race and ethnicity. It notes that the area has significant cultural and ethnic diversity, including large Lebanese-Australian and Muslim populations. However, ignorance and inequality still exist in schools, where students from minority backgrounds are often deemed to have cognitive or behavioral deficits rather than social factors being considered. The document examines issues facing Indigenous students in particular, such as lack of family support, substance abuse, and discrimination, which can lead to disengagement. It argues that teachers need to move beyond Eurocentric systems to more inclusive approaches recognizing students' cultural backgrounds.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    96 views2 pages

    Diversity Essay Excerpt Weebly

    Uploaded by

    api-518405423
    The document discusses factors that can negatively impact student learning experiences in Greater Western Sydney schools, particularly issues related to race and ethnicity. It notes that the area has significant cultural and ethnic diversity, including large Lebanese-Australian and Muslim populations. However, ignorance and inequality still exist in schools, where students from minority backgrounds are often deemed to have cognitive or behavioral deficits rather than social factors being considered. The document examines issues facing Indigenous students in particular, such as lack of family support, substance abuse, and discrimination, which can lead to disengagement. It argues that teachers need to move beyond Eurocentric systems to more inclusive approaches recognizing students' cultural backgrounds.

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    Meena HAMDARD 18336072

    The institutionalised space that is called school is a setting where students are provided with
    education and learning experiences every day, in hopes that different areas of study will
    provide knowledge and open the door to student’s future career path. The school is the place
    where a student’s mind is stimulated and inspired; valuable and well trained teachers guide
    and support the student’s learning journey, to ensure they are provided with the best possible
    learning experience. Unfortunately, different factors can impact a student’s learning, or lack
    thereof. In Greater Western Sydney, there are several factors that can negatively impact a
    student’s learning experience. Race and ethnicity in particular, is a controversial topic which
    exists in Sydney schools, and creates inequality amongst students from minority
    backgrounds. Australia has always been recognised and valued for its diverse and accepting
    ways, however this essay will examine the ways in which multicultural diversity is often
    rejected in our schools, and the methods and policies that the Australian government have
    implemented to ensure that race and ethnic equality is continuously practiced and recognised
    by teachers and students in our schools.

    Greater Western Sydney has an overwhelmingly multicultural population, with the


    Canterbury local government having “signs proclaiming Canterbury as ‘the city of cultural
    diversity’”. (Noble, Poynting & Tabar, 1999, pg 32). Additionally, the area has become
    tremendously populated by the Lebanese-Australian community, many of who are Muslim.
    With such a high density of Arab Muslims, place-based education can be approached in this
    context by “providing an innovative model of teacher education that links pre-service
    teachers with schools that have high refugee population (Burnett & Lampert, 2011, pg. 447).
    Thus, the individual is broadening their scope to schools with not only ethnic plurity, but to
    refugees who are most in need of valuable education, however often discriminated due to
    cultural and racial biases. Contemporary Australia is a landscape of different ethnic
    backgrounds, religions and cultures, however hearing the term ‘Muslim’ usually tends to
    raise alarms, even on school grounds. The “criticism of multiculturalism also increased
    following 9/11 and the threat of global terrorism associated with the rise of Islamic
    fundamentalism” (Mousakim, 2015, 221). In Australia, individuals must have the ability to fit
    in, however this notion particularly impacts Muslims, who are especially marginalised, and
    already out-casted as the ‘other’ (Dunn, Forest, Lean, 2016).

    The Greater Western Sydney area has a high density of ethnic diversity, however ignorance
    and inequality continues to take place in our schools. Students from Indigenous or minority
    backgrounds with low academic backgrounds generally are deemed as having cognitive and
    Meena HAMDARD 18336072

    behavioural deficit, instead of understanding the wider context of social inequality


    (Moustakim, 2015). It is important to recognise the different factors that may be impacting a
    child’s retention to learning. For Indigenous Australians, these factors include lack of support
    from families, drug and alcohol use and self-esteem issues. However, notably, student’s
    disengagement from learning has also been reported to derive from “experiencing
    discrimination in schools, ranging from peers, adults and even teachers” (Andrews, Bansel &
    Denson, 2012, pg. 227). The highest failure rates exist in Indigenous schools, and only 3
    schools run by the Queensland Department of Education have established a concentrated
    primary curriculum and literacy and numeracy instruction for this group. (Hughes, 2012).
    The issue of Indigenous education disengagement accentuates that this an issue at a macro
    level. It concerns teachers astronomically, because the teacher ultimately has the ability to
    break the cycle of disengagement and move away from a Eurocentric education system, to a
    more shared inclusive approach (Andrews, Bansel, & Denson, 2012). The Aboriginal
    Education Policy outlines its commitments to learning the history and experiences of
    Aboriginals, delivery of quality education to Aboriginal students, engage and motivate
    Aboriginal students for successful participation (Department of Education, 2016). By
    providing cultural education for not only students but staff as well, there is more of a sense of
    importance and understanding of the needs of Aboriginal students in order for them to
    exceed.

    A student’s ethnic background is very resourceful in terms of teaching and learning and
    should not be overlooked. Educators must open their mind to effective design and quality
    education through recognising the “potential influence a student’s cultural and ethnic
    background and previous experience has on their understanding of the curriculum content
    (Eingana, 2013, pg. 64). Central to the critical race theory, schools are understand as the
    place for intercultural relations, thus school are pivotal to the development of multicultural
    understanding and respect (Dunn, Forrest & Lean, 2016, pg. 633).. Fairfield High School,
    which is recognised for its ethnic diversity, has put into place multicultural education and
    anti-racism policies, emphasising on programs facilitated for cross cultural understanding
    such as Multicultural Day, refugee project called Our Faces, Our Stories and The Refugee
    Transition Program. Furthermore, the school emphasises on Aboriginal Education Policy, by
    integrating oral history and its significance. Teachers also attend a course aimed at increasing
    engagement and outcome for Aboriginal students (Department of Education, 2015).

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