How have schools in Scotland responded to minority cultures and languages?
In Scotland, there has been much change in relation to the accommodations made for minority students. In reading, for example, children with English as an additional language are encouraged to mix with the most advanced individuals in the classroom in order to further promote language. Much, however, depends on the teacher’s personal decisions about minority culture students. Many teachers have a day/week where one culture is celebrated and then another for another culture. Unfortunately this tends only to be on festivals rather than everyday culture. It would n\be more beneficial to celebrate cultures even when there is not a festival. We do not need festivals to celebrate culture. Culture can be just little things in everyday life.
How could this be improved?
I believe that more needs to be done in order to show respect and interest in minority cultures that can be found in our schools. Perhaps there could be language taught in some of these languages even if the teacher does not know this his/herself. It could be a learning experience for all where the child who is of the minority could be the expert. Also it would be beneficial to perhaps have each childs’ name in the class written in the minority language. This way children can see the value and asset a child from a minority background can bring to the classroom
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Charlotte,
ReplyDeleteYou raise a good point about which elements of culture are highlighted in classrooms. I, too, believe that often the extent of our focus is merely at the level of 'festival'. The challenge is to reach toward and incorporate far more meaningful--deeper--levels of culture. This does include the everyday, because (as we'll see next week in our LITC course), the way that we interact everyday REALLY is our culture...
Best wishes,
Gina