Cultural Discrimination as Social Injustice - Case Study Example

Cultural Discrimination As Social Injustice Amarina is a sixteen year old Aboriginal wisp of a girl with an endearing smile. She studied at Condell Park High School, which did not truly acknowledge her cultural roots as there was just a handful of indigenous students enrolled in that school. The students in this school were mostly from Middle Eastern background and is a public school. She was often teased for her appearance and was ridiculed for her shyness. Her grades remained low, and her teachers were not encouraging enough because they admitted Amarina’s competencies were not at par with the other students and found it difficult to find her strengths. Amarina was able to get into that school because her mother was employed as a maid in the household of a rich and kind Barton family. Amarina practically grew up with the children of that family, as most of the time her mother would call for her to help her out. The lady of the house was fond of Amarina and decided to send her to Condell Park High School. However, in the first few months of her enrollment, Amarina always came home with a heavy heart and did not feel motivated enough to go to school. Her mother asked her why and she said she did not feel she belonged there and would rather help out in her mother’s housework in the Barton residence. She was quite good at that and truly enjoyed it. Mrs. Barton went to Condell Park to inquire what was going on and found out that the teachers did not have much experience teaching Indigenous students and since there were so few, did not bother enough to adjust their lessons to accommodate them. Mrs. Barton tried to argue that the school must address the needs of all students and not neglect the minority. The foregoing case illustrates a few discourses surrounding cultural discrimination and Aboriginal education. It was clear that the school did not comply with the standards set by the Aboriginal Education Policy (NSW Department of School Education). The basic principles that underpin the policy were fundamental to Aboriginal people’s rights. According to the Aboriginal Educational Policy, Amarina was “entitled to high quality, culturally appropriate education and training programs as a foundation for lifelong learning” (Principle # 3). Also, the fact that Amarina was not treated well by most non-indigenous students at Condell, also meant that the school did not follow the principle that states that :”All students are entitled to learn about Aboriginal Australia, understanding that Aboriginal communities are the custodians of knowledge about their own cultures and history” (Principle # 4). Global education is defined as “education that develops the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are the basis for decision making and participation in a world characterized by cultural pluralism, interconnectedness and international economic competition (Merryfield, 1995, p. 1). In view of this, on a much more specific level, culturally relevant teaching must be learned by teachers. It takes into consideration the cultural background of the students at all times. It also keeps in mind cultural aspects in all interactions with students on both personal and educational levels (Edwards & Kuhlman, 2007). Students’ cultures, languages and experiences need to be acknowledged, valued and used as important sources of their education because they deserve the best that society can give them. Amarina did not get the respect she deserved as a member of the Aboriginal community. She was constantly unhappy and felt “out-casted”. This is another violation of the principle that “Aboriginal students are entitled to feel safe and secure in expressing and developing their own identity as Indigenous people within schools and the wider society”(Principle # 5) . “’Cultural fit’” revolves around the alignment of curriculum, delivery and pedagogy with local Indigenous cultural assumptions, perceptions, values and needs. For education and training to succeed, this alignment is essential” (Schwab, 2001, p. 7). Such alignment is possible through strategies that recognize Indigenous culture and values within a learning environment in which preservation and reinforcement of Indigenous identity is supported (Boughton and Duran, 1997; Nakata, 1993). The last principle of the Aboriginal Educational Policy seems to summarize Amarina’s angst against Condell Park High School because she felt deep inside that “Aboriginal students are entitled to participate in a system which is free of racism and prejudice (Principle # 6). A good teacher is blind to racial prejudices and is interested in and respectful of the varied cultural customs, traditions and values each foreign child represents. It is basic for any human being to embody the culture he comes from, whether speaking the language or manifesting the accent of that language, manner of dressing, and holding on to beliefs imbibed from that culture. Such behaviors need to be accepted, respected and even celebrated in the classroom. It also brings in a lot of learning for the other students and makes the school experience richer. Loomer (1976), presents two types of power namely Unilateral and Relational. “Unilateral power is the ability to produce intended or desired effects in our relationships to nature or to other people. More specifically, unilateral power is the capacity to influence, guide, adjust, manipulate, shape, control, or transform the human or natural environment in order to advance one’s own purposes.” Loomer’s other type of power is Relational power which is the capacity both to influence others and to be influenced by others. Relational power involves both a giving and a receiving. Unilateral Power and influence in this case falls on the school system and government initiatives to provide the quality education indigenous children need. Relational Power is also given to parents to choose the schools they send their children to. Lastly, relational power may be handed to students when their needs are addressed, as these are what schools must exist for. The social injustice problem at hand reflects post-colonialist theories in the emergence of Aboriginal identity. One cannot help but recall imperialist influence on most white Australians who may still retain some cultural assumptions of power over indigenous groups. It is important to understand that problems associated with indigenous education are unique. Indigenous culture is devalued and is prone to discrimination. Indigenous children, as a group, are assumed to be unequal to the general school population in terms of intelligence, and as a result, expectations are considerably lower (Reynolds, 2005). Gutman (1992) in the context of research involving students in two Brisbane school found that: “Teachers who have low expectations of what Aboriginal students can achieve academically are doing them a disservice” (p. 22). This way, the power they have over their students was not used to serve the needs of the students. This is where social injustice rears its ugly head. According to Sturman, “Social justice, then, is intricately linked not just to individual life chances but to the experiences of different societal groups and the fact that not all groups have been able to share equally in the benefits of education” (Sturman, 1997, p. xii). This bemoans the disappointment of a vision of society where distribution of resources is equitable. Fletcher (1989) argues that education authorities are reasonable to “treat Aboriginal pupils differently and more generously than the norm … it would be justified to introduce courses of study for all children aimed at promoting a greater appreciation of Aboriginal culture and reducing racial prejudice and hostility” (Fletcher, 1989, p. 333 as qtd. in Reynolds, 2005). In addition, Partington (1998) suggests teachers to “modify the curriculum so that it more accurately reflects the reality of the lives of Indigenous students” and are “alert to the skills Indigenous students posses rather than focusing on those they do not have” (p. 24) Since Mrs. Barton and Condell High School did not see eye to eye regarding Amarina’s case, Mrs. Barton decided to pull her out. The school regretfully agreed, and saw this incident as a point of reflection to take the Aboriginal Education Policy more seriously. The social injustice brought upon Aboriginal students should be addressed in more concrete ways such as facilitating teacher training seminars on cultural sensitivity. In this case, Mrs. Barton’s action of pulling out Amarina almost became a controversial move, especially since she is of high social stature doing something for an Indigenous student. However, Mrs. Barton did not take advantage of her stature and just gave the school a lot to think about in behalf of all affected Indigenous students. The move towards globalization includes the consideration of multicultural factors affecting learning and development. In Australia, many indigenous students (e.g. Aborigines) drop out of formal school to move towards vocationally-oriented school courses (Schwab, 2001) to enable them to secure jobs soon after compulsory education. This particular population may seek options that will optimize their learning potentials such as courses that appropriately fit their culture. In doing so, these students claim power to empower themselves with quality education. Mrs. Barton heard about VET or the Vocational Education Training and decided to enroll Amarina in another school that had VET incorporated in their curriculum. The “VET in Schools” program offers students to undertake one of three models of practical work-related activity. One is for full time students to participate in a training program offered by the school or a public or private training provider; another is for students to secure a trainee-ship or apprenticeship with a contract and paid employment while still a student in a school; or students may work part time out of school hours with a formal, structured training component. (ANTA, 1999) The following strategies are proposed by Schwab (2001) to facilitate success among Indigenous students in VET-in-schools programs: Community-based education and training Being able to apply their learning in their own community gives students a sense of ownership. This sense of ownership propels students towards success because they are motivated to give much back to their community. Community relevance Due to a desire to work in a more culturally comfortable setting, most indigenous students are drawn to work in their own communities. The knowledge they have gained will benefit the community they highly value. A commitment to Aboriginal employment The ultimate goal of the program is employment for these Indigenous students. That is the reason why they are thoroughly trained to acquire the necessary skills they will be utilizing in their prospective jobs. Balancing expectations from two cultures A balance between the sometimes conflicting styles and expectations of two cultures – the common Australian and the indigenous Australian cultures is maintained so that desired outcomes may be obtained. Pushing the boundaries The emphasis on hands-on learning necessitates the students spending significant amounts of time outside the classroom learning about the workplace. Teachers exert extra effort in searching for additional resources to support such field study components. Partnerships with other institutions are forged for the benefit of student learning. They are also skilled in locating and securing the funding needed to support their programs. Leadership and committed, competent staff To be able to manage a successful VET-in school program entails good leadership and dedicated staff. This is essential in being able to balance “the need to be in and of the local Indigenous community – in both identifying and being responsive to community education and training needs – with the need to be independent, efficient and innovative” (Schwab, 2001, p. 9). Committed staff help in the expansion and extension of the programs to fulfill the goals and meet the education and training needs of Indigenous people. The Vocational Education and Training programs are proof of Australian authorities’ commitment to the empowerment of their citizenry towards self-fulfillment. It may be an answer to a social justice problem of cultural discrimination of indigenous students in schools. Moreover, considering the needs of the indigenous people included in the Australian population is a value-added strength that gives these programs more integrity and credibility… a framework that merits emulation from budding vocational education and training projects in other countries. References Australian National Training Authority, (1999) “Providing Life-long Skill Training through an Integrated Education and Training System: The Australian Experience.” Paper presented at Lifelong Learning and Training: a Bridge to the Future, International Congress on Technical and Vocational Education (2nd, Seoul, South Korea, April 26-30, 1999) Boughton, B. & Durnan, D.(1997) Best practice in benchmarking in Aboriginal community-controlled adult education. A project report to the Australian National Training Authority from the Federation of Independent Aboriginal Education Providers Ltd. Sydney Edwards, S. & Kuhlman, W. (2007) “Culturally Responsive Teaching:Do We Walk Our Talk?”, Multicultural Education, Summer 2007 Fletcher, J. J. (1989). Clean, clad and courteous: A history of Aboriginal education in New South Wales. Sydney, Australia: Southwood Press. Gutman, D. (1992) “Aboriginal children want to learn good school work.”, The Aboriginal Child at School. Vol. 20 (2). 12-24. Loomer, B. (1976) Two Conceptions of Power. Criterion, Winter 1976, pp. 12-29 Nakata, M. (1993) Culture in education: for us or them? In N. Loos and T. Osani (ed) Indigenous minorities and education: Australian and Japanese perspectives of their indigenous peoples, the Ainu, Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. Tokyo: Sanyusha. New South Wales Department of School Education (n.d.) Aboriginal Education Policy, Aboriginal Education Unit, NSW Department of School Education. Partington, G. (1998) “No simple solution exists: Perspectives on education as the key to change.” In G. Partington (Ed), Perspectives on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education, Katoomba, New South Wales: Social Science Press. Reynolds, R. J. (2002). The search for relevance and identity: The education and socialization of Australian Aboriginal students. International Education, 31(2), 18–32.Reynolds, R.J. (2005) “The Education of Indigenous Australian Students: Same Story, Different Hemishpere.”, Multicultural Perspectives, Vol. 7, Issue 2, 48-55. Scwab, R.G. (2001) VET-in-School for Indigenous Students: Success through “Cultural Fit”, Retrieved on August 4, 2009 from http://www.avetra.org.au/PAPERS%202001/schwab.pdf. Sturman, A. (1997). Social Justice in Education. Victoria: ACER Press Read More