Diversity in education

Education cannot simply ignore the current changes in society and economy. Our evolution towards a post-industrial, pluriform society is too far advanced for that. We believe that new competencies, diverse pupil groups and continuing social inequalities in education require a radical change in how learning at school is designed and organized. It is an illusion to imagine that the bewildering complexity of present-day society can be kept outside the school walls. Society cannot be kept outside the school because society is already inside the school.
When developing their vision of diversity, schools should think carefully about the reasons behind their choices. Opting for a broadening diversity perspective at school can be justified on the basis of a variety of different arguments. We have identified three basic lines of thought: a normative, an instrumental and a pragmatic vision.
The normative vision is based on two main arguments: an emancipatory and an ethical argument. The emancipatory argument maintains that education has to be socially just and should strive towards equality both in society at large and in the educational field. The ethical argument stresses the role of education as a means of giving children those moral values which are regarded as necessary in order to ensure that a diverse society can function harmoniously.
The instrumental vision focuses on the advantages which using diversity bestows on the pupils. These can be separated into immediate and longer term consequences: the consequences for pupils in the immediate term primarily involve the positive effects of diversity on children’s and young people’s learning; the longer term consequences are related to preparing them for later life in a pluriform society and a pluriform world.
Finally, the pragmatic vision centres on the possible advantages of dealing with diversity for the school community. According to this vision coexistence at school will be easier and more congenial if pupils feel themselves valued, if they are given sufficient opportunities to freely develop their identity and if they have the feeling that they are getting maximum opportunities irrespective of their origin, sexual orientation or family background. From a pragmatic point of view the principles of learning and diversity can also contribute to the more effective functioning of the school as an organization.
The three approaches are not mutually exclusive and can complement and reinforce each other.

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A. Working on education: a twofold mission

In our view, working on diversity in education implies a twofold mission:

1. Dealing with diversity as an objective of citizenship education in a democratic and plural society

Schools and other institutions which are engaged in training and education have an important duty in the area of citizenship education and personal development. The necessary democratic society for which we are preparing pupils is a pluriform, multi-voiced, complex and cosmopolitan one. In principle, pupils ought to acquire at school the necessary skills which will equip them to be able to play their part as active, critically-reflective citizens in a democratic society. By practising this competency within the school community, their education contributes to the creation of a pluralistic, inclusive democracy.
Learning to deal with diversity does not mean that this pedagogical duty incumbent upon the educational system can be hived off into a separate domain concerned with values, standards and social skills, separate from ‘cognitive’ learning at school. Citizenship education cannot be done in a separate lesson. This is very artificial given that social interaction is going on all the time and interesting learning moments can arise unexpectedly. Democratic education is about creating situations in which there is dialogue and reflection; in which people learn about what they ought to do and in which decisions are the subject of dialogue and are tested against the criterion of convincing argument. In this way, other people are recognized as fully-valued individuals worthy of respect. This means learning to put aside one's own views and interests in order to think seriously about the views and interests of others. Pupils also practice interacting among themselves and with others not only in the classroom but also in other arenas and moments in school life. The school itself is, therefore, a democratic community, rather than a preparation for the democratic society to be encountered outside the school and in later life.

2. Diversity as means to achieving equal educational opportunities.

Besides, citizenship education schools also have the duty to create equal opportunities for all learners. In the first place, this means that teachers need to create powerful learning environments which offer all pupils sufficient learning opportunities to master key competencies, taking account of their talents and possibilities. In this way, the diversity of learner’s experiences, points of view, ideas, learning sources and learning styles can be seen as an enriching element. The aim here is to achieve equality of status in the interaction between learners, in other words: all learners are active and influential participants and all learners respect each other’s views. From the equal opportunities concept that all learners must be able to exploit their talents and possibilities to the full, it is essential for all pupils that they can choose what they are good at or what most interests them. Their socio-economic position, gender, physical capacities, sexual orientation or ethnic origin cannot be a reason for denying them opportunities and choices. In a diversity perspective, the target group of equal opportunities is seen in a broader sense than the classic ‘risk groups’, where the prime focus is on improved academic performance and ensuring that pupils progress through the educational system. There are also pupils who are deprived in a different sense. Firstly, children and young people who grow up in sheltered, homogeneous or non-urban environments and lack skills in dealing with urban forms of diversity. Pupils of this kind may also come from what are generally regarded as ‘privileged’ families and, here too, education also has an opportunities-enhancement function, but in the specific area of preparing them for citizenship in a pluriform society. Secondly, there are children and young people from socio-economically disadvantaged families and groups who cannot contribute the social and cultural capital that promotes reflection and participation in civil society.

This twofold mission requires a change in how we design and organize learning at school. This is by no means a straightforward business. Achieving this mission means doing away with entrenched modes of thinking and deeply ingrained practices which can significantly impede the development of an approach to diversity.
Teachers, educationalists and policy-makers still tend too often to approach this as a separate island in lessons, school life, the school environment and the surrounding society. Seen in this way, it is merely an extra item of content to be added to the school curriculum, a separate set of attitudes to be taught, a project week or an extra set of lesson materials. According to this view, there is no need to change the basic attitude of teachers and school management teams. The mainstream of the school is unaffected and is assumed to be neutral, monocultural, monolingual, homogeneous, heterosexual, non-handicapped, etc...
We, on the other hand, see dealing with diversity as part of the core of the educational process and of school life. Diversity is no longer just another subject to be taught in schools but rather the point of departure for the entire educational process. In fact, in addition to being a cornerstone it is also a quality feature of education in all its facets: content, pedagogical-didactic, relational and organizatorial.

B. Dealing with diversity: Objectives

In our view, dealing with diversity specifically involves the following six objectives:

1. Seeing diversity as a normal phenomenon which everyone encounters in various situations on a daily basis (normality).
2. Avoiding prejudices and generalizations, where possible and desirable; refraining from and combating any form of discrimination (absence of prejudice and non-discrimination).
3. Looking at events, contexts and people from a variety of perspectives (multiperspectivity).
4. Functioning in different contexts in continually changing circumstances and new situations (capacity to adapt).
5. Opting for dialogue and collaboration (dialogue and collaboration).
6. Learning from each other’s visions, experiences and competencies (learning from each other).

A diversity policy is a continuous process of innovation aimed at adapting an organization in all its aspects to our pluriform, democratic society. In the field of education, this process of adaptation requires a fundamental transformation of the basic attitude and vision of school teams. So long as there is a failure to encourage innovative changes in the attitudes and conceptions of teachers and school management teams, initiatives at pupil level are not likely to achieve very much.
In specific terms, a diversity policy at school involves the following five objectives:

1.   Learning to deal with diversity as an objective to be achieved among all pupils and teachers at the school.
2.    Creating the pedagogical and didactic conditions for an effective approach to diversity at class and school level.
3.   Making the school an interactive and learning organization.
4.   Aiming for a diverse composition in all areas of the school.
5.   Situating the school as a learning and living environment within a wide network of partners.

Focusing on diversity at school is the most effective way of giving all pupils the guidance they need to achieve their maximum potential. When teachers themselves can deal with the diversity of the pupil and parent groups in an appropriate and positive way, this fosters the learning and development opportunities of all the children, including pupils from social minorities.
The competencies which teachers need to deal with diversity in their professional practice are not new or different competencies from the already familiar competencies required of teachers, although they are differently 'coloured' in line with the specific missions of teachers who are facing classes with a diverse composition and complex instructional situations.
There are also situations in their life outside the school in which teachers come into contact with diversity and in which they acquire a particular understanding of diversity or a particular set of skills. This life-broad learning to deal with diversity as a private individual or a normal citizen constitutes an effective support and is even a precondition to the development of more strictly professionally-oriented competencies. Someone who, for example, can function well in unusual circumstances and new situations, will also have fewer problems with changing pupil populations and changing learning environments.
Dialogue, negotiation and multiperspectivity are an enrichment of the learning environment, for teachers and learners alike, but at the same time constitute a difficult undertaking. Teachers have to realize that they too speak from a particular standpoint and a particular conception. They are no longer untouchable authority figures in possession of objective and factual knowledge which it is their duty to convey from a position of aloof superiority. We have identified six competencies which specifically relate to dealing with diversity in the context of professional teaching:

1.   Observing diversity in the classroom, at school and in the world outside.
2.   Approaching diversity in a positive manner.
3.   Guiding pupils to achieve effective interaction with each other and with others.
4.   Integrating diversity into the total educational process of pupils.
5.   Dealing effectively with diversity among colleagues, parents and external partners.
6.   Being aware of one’s own social responsibility and acting accordingly.

Schools that wish to take account of diversity, opt for a pedagogical-didactic approach which leaves room for interaction, encourages variation, recognizes diversity as a normal phenomenon and uses it as part of the day-to-day learning process. This creates a learning environment in which the negotiation of meaning helps the learners to develop their own perspectives and to develop new perspectives.
For the implementation of dealing with diversity in an educational context we recommend six possible ‘tools’ for the design of the required didactic approach. The Centre for Diversity & Learning has developed specific ‘tools’ and aids to support people and organizations wanting to improve their educational practice. 

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From: Chapter 3 (Sven Sierens & Eva Verstraete): In: Verstraete, E. (2006). Flemish Teaching Resources under the magnifying glass. In search of intercultural content. Evens Foundation & Centre for Diversity & Learning. (Download text: pdf-file)