Managing Diversity

EDED11400

Student Number: S0230170

Name: Tyrone Tornabene

Assessment Task 1

Diversity and Prejudice

Diversity and Prejudice Inclusive Education

Diversity and prejudice are becoming common vernacular in the context of
contemporary society, especially in the context of Australian schools. Inclusion is a
large part of making classrooms more diverse and ridding them of prejudice. In the
classroom, inclusion is defined as the right to participate and be respected equally
concerning religion, race, mental or physical disability, stereotypes and sexual
orientation (Hyde, Carpenter & Conway, 2010).
Australia has a history surrounding various cultures prominently based around, in
recorded history anyway, Indigenous Australians and Europeans. These cultures
over time and after numerous conflicts, have managed to work together to create a
much more inclusive society. Policies such as the Inclusive Education policy (2012)
in Queensland assert to influencing Australia positively as an inclusively united
nation.
The Inclusive Education policy document (DETE, 2012) is pledged to acquiring
parallel educational opportunities across all social and economic circumstances
while enriching outcomes for all learners. It is the end goal of this policy to influence
and guide this generation of learners to become supportive and inclusive adults who
understand the negativity elicited by prejudice, racism and stereotyping (DETE,
2012).
Abolition of the White Australia policy which diminished in 1973, and introduction of
legislation such as the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) which made it illegal
for anyone to discriminate against a person due to their disability (Disability
Standards 2005). Australia is definitely moving forward to an overall inclusive
society, especially in the context of education.
Stereotype, racism and prejudice are three key terms that are making inclusion in
Australian schools of vital importance. Stereotypes are usually generalizations that
were established by first impressions of a social group acting in a specific way
(Seiter, 1986). Usually stereotypes ignore the fact that there are various people
defined in that group who do not follow those characteristics. A negative example of
stereotyping commonly seen in Australia is that Indigenous Australians are not very
intelligent. Not all stereotypes have as high of a negative connotation as this but
when people follow stereotyping, it can have demoralizing ramifications on the group
targeted (McGarty, Yzerbyt & Spears, 2002).
Prejudice is generally viewed as showing hostility or hatred due to an ignorant,
defective and irrational generalization towards someone or something (Eagly &
Diekman, 2005). Stereotypes of anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic sentiments have
festered into Australian waters and planted the seeds for prejudice giving some
Australians the view that immigrants are a threat (Dunn, Klocker & Salabay, 2007).

Prejudice usually occurs to benefit a specific group of people (Byrne, 1998). In the
context of education, prejudice is an extremely worrying issue. Educators who show
prejudice towards children, parents or even fellow staff members are modelling
negative behaviour and influencing children to follow suit.
Racism can often be born from stereotyping and prejudices, for while both of those
terms include judging a group of people before ever knowing them; neither of them
defines actually taking action to cause offence (Byrne, 1998). Racism is behaviour
that can be identified as oppressive, hurtful and exclusive to the particular race in
question (Scheurich, 1993). Generally, but not always, racism is seen as causing
offence or harm, whether physical or mental to people of colour (Bivens, 1995).
Racism still remains to be a fundamental problem in Australian society, and in
Australian schools, predominantly high schools. An example of racism influencing
Australian policy is evident in the creation of the White Australia policy which
illustrated excluded people based upon race (Teicher, Shah & Griffin, 2002).
Australia comprises of numerous legislation that enquires to the integrity of
committing to an inclusive Australia. This legislation includes Disability Discrimination
Act 1992 (Cth), Salamanca Statement 1994 (Cth), Inclusive Education Statement
2005 (Qld), the Disability Standards for Education 2005 (Cth) and the Indigenous
Education (Targeted Assistance) Act 2000 (Cth). All of the above legislation stands
up for equity of the diverse populace occupying Australia.
In Spain, Salamanca, 1994, 25 international organizations met with the intention to
improve education for all students and promote inclusive behaviours in all schools.
The Salamanca Statement 1994 adopts policies, practices and principles which
increase inclusive education in regards to special needs as well as creating a
framework for implementation (Salamanca Statement 1994). The Salamanca
statement dictates that either by law or policy, the countries involved pledges to
guide enrolment of all students regardless of ability levels into mainstream education
(Salamanca Statement 1994).
The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) decrees that Australians, under the law
must treat a person with a disability equally as to how they would treat someone who
did not have a disability. Whether directly or indirectly, discrimination against people
with a disability is unlawful regardless of where it occurs, informing various policies
around this basic principle (Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth).
Act 31 of the DDA (Cth) enables the Attorney-General to put forth a set of disability
standards in various areas such as the right to education. This led to the creation of
the Disability Standards 2005 (Cth) which are subordinate legislation to the DDA
(Cth) and provide to all government and private sectors of education.
The standards intend that providers for education should make justifiable changes in
order to make sure a student with a disability is treated the same as a student

without one (Disability Standards, 2005). Certain measures informs educators that
they must be aware of services available to their disability students, provide these
specialized services and equipment as well as appropriately trained staff for students
with disabilities (Disability Standards 2005). Teachers must be more aware of all of
their students specialized needs, and it is lawful for them to provide properly for
them to make sure they receive the same educational rights as other students.
The Inclusive Education Statement 2005, has been recently implemented with the
focus to respond appropriately and positively to children with disadvantages while
including a diverse curriculum, providing a sense of safety, negotiating with parents
and students to best suit their learning and ensure all Education Queensland policies
recognise the importance of inclusive education (Inclusive Education Statement
2005). For teachers, this statement means that they lawfully have to abide by
responsibilities regarding ESL students, gifted students, indigenous students,
behaviour management programs, educational support plans, social and cultural
experiences suited for everyone and individual plans for students who require it
(Inclusive Education Statement, 2005).
DETE policy (2012) informs teachers that ESL students includes homogeneous
students from various countries, as well as Indigenous Australians and hearing
impaired. These students will require intensive support generally and catering for
them in a mainstream classroom will take hard work but will results in a more
inclusive culture in the classroom and the school (DETE, 2012).
Teachers will need to have specialized teacher aides to support ESL students and
encourage such an inclusive culture, that the children help each other out. Assuming
the classroom is inclusive, children can guide each other in areas they fall behind
and help each other to achieve outcomes they could never achieve by themselves.
Teachers must also remember that classrooms are full of advantaged and
disadvantaged students in regards to academic competence. Talented students are
above average in more than one area of schooling, exemplifying mastery over
various areas over time, to the point where they are within the top ten percent of their
peers (DETE, n.d.). Gifted students show high capability in the domains of either
intellect, creativity or social and physical skills. DETE (n.d.) defines gifted students
as students who show an outstanding and significant natural ability in one of these
domains to at least find themselves somewhere in the top ten percent of their peer
age group.
The Inclusive Statement 2005 (Qld) notifies educators that teaching and learning will
entail a curriculum that is challenging for all sides of the spectrum whether it is
children with learning disabilities or extremely gifted and talented students (Inclusive
Statement, 2005). Educators must understand that there is a four step process to
helping to include an inclusive curriculum that enhances gifted and talented students

which begins with identification, curriculum provision, reporting to the parents and
finally documentation (DETE, n.d.).
DETE (n.d.) advocates that teachers address these students through a faster pace
of work to constantly keep their brain engaged, more frequent use of high order
thinking skills, opportunities to work with students of their ability levels and the
chance to undertake problems which require a great deal of perseverance
developing students problem solving strategies.
Teachers need to value and respond to diversity such as culture to groups and
communities that have had poor prior outcomes in regards to a successful and fully
resourced education such as Indigenous Australians (Inclusive Statement 2005).
The Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Act 2000 (Cth) has five binding
objectives regarding Indigenous Australians including achieving equitable education,
equal access to education, equal participation in education from early years to high
school, allowing Indigenous voices to be heard in education and most importantly to
develop educational services fit to supply for their diverse culture.
These objectives have seen the increase in Indigenous education in Australia,
allowing more inclusion in the classroom and in society as more Indigenous people
will take the initiative to participate in tertiary education whether it be TAFE or
university. This impacts on teachers in the classroom due to the increasing money
being fuelled into Indigenous education, giving teachers more resources, knowledge
and aid, however they may require it to work with the new generation of exceedingly
diverse individuals.
Harrison (2011) reminds educators that in teaching Indigenous Australians,
specifically Aboriginals, that they are not defined in just one large group of people.
Just like other cultures, Indigenous Australians are a very diverse people with groups
such as the Murris, the Kooris, the Nyunga, the Nungas and the Anangu; all of which
behave in differing ways, making an adaptable teacher prominent in teaching various
groups of Aborigines (Harrison, 2011).
Hyde, Carpenter and Conway (2010) suggest that students negative attitudes
towards school can often time be due to negative feedback from teachers and peers
as well as being labelled as disruptive or misbehaved. These attitudes could be
turned around if each day teachers as they should, turned over a new leaf, to rid
themselves of their frustration from the previous day or week and start anew, without
labelling or discriminating the child due to previous conflicts.
Teachers who involve students in positive attitudes and learning environments
through considering classroom management such as how the desks are spaced and
the social arrangement of students will increase the chance for the classroom to
contain respect amongst all students and staff (Hyde, Carpenter & Conway, 2010).

Inclusion is not one road, with a beginning, middle and end as it looked in retrospect.
Inclusion is an extremely vast road with countless off roads and teachers needs to
walk all of these at the same time when they attempt to implement inclusion into the
classroom. Teachers, parents and students must work together to achieve equality in
education as there are many changes that need to happen. There will be challenges
along the way, little bumps in the road that will slow progress but perseverance and
teamwork are the most important skills to achieving inclusion in education (Hyde,
Carpenter & Conway, 2010).
Teachers attitudes are paramount to how students perceive themselves, their
education and their general attitude towards people; especially diverse groups.
Teachers who show positive attitudes to supporting their students and accepting
support themselves whether it is teacher aides, professional development as well as
support other teachers in the implementation of inclusion exhibit a sense of flexibility
required to teach the contemporary child (Hyde, Carpenter & Conway, 2010).
Inclusion in Australia is becoming more evident, but there is still a long road ahead.
In education, inclusion is becoming much more respected and known term and the
ideals behind it are being more readily adapted to the classroom. Numerous
legislation are backing up aims to make classrooms a safe and supportive
environment to produce successful outcomes for all students. Policies such as the
Inclusive Education (2005) policy are always being updated and brought out to
increase teachers knowledge on diversity and how they can implement this into the
classroom and school community. Australia is moving forward towards an inclusive
society and an inclusive education but there are still milestones before Australia can
label itself as completely inclusive.

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