Author:
Seun Bunmi Adebayo
(MENAFN- The Conversation) Children and young people should be able to study in schools that recognise and respect their diverse backgrounds . But teachers sometimes struggle to handle this diversity in the classroom.
Findings from research conducted in ireland have shown that teachers may not receive adequate training in intercultural education .
My research investigated how parents from minority ethnic (non-white) backgrounds who had immigrated to Ireland felt about their children's school education.
I carried out five group discussions with 20 parents from minority-ethnic backgrounds in Ireland in early 2020. I wanted to understand the parents' experiences with schooling in Ireland and other countries, their opinions on teaching and learning in Irish schools, their relationships with teachers and schools, and their advice for creating culturally inclusive learning environments.
Uncertainty and unfamiliarity
I found that some parents may feel fear and uncertainty when their children attend school, as they may not be familiar with the customs and practices of the education system of the country they have moved to. They had worries about the way their childrens' race affected their school experiences: one parent said they thought teachers were unfairly singling their children out because of their colour.
The parents also had concerns about the cultural knowledge of the staff at their children's schools, and how this might affect their education. One said:
The parents suggested that schools needed to take specific action to learn about the cultures and backgrounds of the children they taught:
research has found that parental engagement with school promotes good behaviour by children. But how an immigrant parent interacts with their child's school may be affected by factors such as a language barrier and lack of familiarity with the school system.
Teaching about cultures
The parents also emphasised the importance of school and teachers to convey understanding of other cultures to pupils.
Parents thought that children should learn about cultural differences in the classroom. dragana gordic/shutterstock They spoke about the potential benefits of increasing diversity among teachers and other school staff. This can create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for minority ethnic students, providing them with role models who they can relate to and who understand their cultural backgrounds.
inclusive education , which puts childrens' diverse needs at the heart of the curriculum rather than in particular, separate classes or programmes, is not always implemented . School leaders and teachers may lack the competency to put inclusive education into practice.
It is essential that schools take an approach that considers how a student's culture affects their learning. This is known as culturally responsive pedagogy. It is a teaching approach that aims to create classrooms where all students feel included and valued by teachers who incorporate their cultural backgrounds and experiences.
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