Principles of Multicultural Education – My reflections

As stated in the handbook, the key principles of Multicultural education are: -

 The theory of Cultural pluralism
This principle of Multicultural education seeks to guide learners to learn and accept the reality that our world is populated with people from diverse cultures, and also to know and accept that every culture has its own unique sways of life which its members hold as “sacred” or “right”.

 Ideals of Social Justice and end of racism, sexism, and other forms of prejudices and discriminations.
This principle of Multicultural education seeks to guide learners to imbibe the concepts of social justice as a universal concept which aims at create a level playing ground for all people of the world in all facets of human endeavour irrespective of their gender, race or other incidental differences.

Multicultural education seeks to guide learn about the various discriminations and prejudices that have become ingrained in our psyche over time as human beings, and guide them further to question the logic or appropriateness of these biases, and also realize the negative effects of these prejudices on fellow humans.

With the above realization, learners should then be able to see reasons why they should imbibe and uphold due respect for multiculturalism and also be ready to take action against prejudices and discriminations.

 Affirmation of Culture in the teaching and learning process.

Multicultural education seeks to ensure that the teaching and learning process is designed and implemented with due recognition and acceptance given to the diversity of cultures in our societies.

As educators, this is very important in to classroom practice, we should ensure that our classroom practice (and where possible, the curriculum) is designed and implemented to highlight the richness of our diverse socio-cultural realities. We have to be very careful to ensure our subject matter, learning activities, teaching styles, and relationships with our students don’t make any group feel alienated.
Nothing is worse than a learner being made to fee inferior among peers on account of his/her gender, race, faith, or other difference!

 Vision of Educational equality and excellence leading to high levels of academic learning for all children and Youths (Quezada & Romo, 2004, Pg 4)

By seeking to eliminate all forms of prejudices and discriminations, Multicultural education is actually working towards freeing up the personalities of the learners.
With the various prejudices and discriminations eliminated, learners are thus able to achieve a sense of intrapersonal peace, which will in turn translate into better interpersonal relationships in which everyone feels free to express his/her personality to the fullest and is able to appreciate the personalities of peers.