Cultural diversity is one of the most common tendencies which are executed in modern education. Multicultural education allows for improving a person’s adaptation skills to different values in a situation of coexistence of many heterogeneous cultures. Its aim is also to develop a high level of interaction between people with different traditions. Multicultural orientation of the education includes many various notions requiring the participants of the learning process to gain specific knowledge about culture and tolerance.
Multicultural education is a philosophical concept based on the ideals of freedom, justice, equality, and human dignity. This approach is recognized in various documents such as the Declaration of Independence of the United States, the constitutions of South Africa and the United States, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations. Such education confirms society’s need to prepare students for their responsibilities in an interdependent world. It recognizes schools’ role in developing the attitudes and values ​​necessary for a democratic society (Sleeter, 2018). These documents value cultural differences and emphasize the pluralism in which students, their communities, and teachers live. The concept of multicultural education challenges all forms of discrimination in schools and society through the promotion of democratic principles of social justice.
The notion of culture is a complicated term touching upon various ethical issues. Two vital terms ensure a more comprehensive understanding of multicultural education. The first one is the national culture, a combination of the material and spiritual values of the nation. The second is cultural tolerance which in sociology is treated as an acceptance of a different worldview, lifestyle, behavior, and customs. In-depth understanding of these concepts ensures “education promoting the tolerance of diversity” (Banks J. & Banks, C., p. 138). Therefore, multicultural education is a process that pervades all aspects of school practice, policy, and organization as a means to ensure the highest levels of academic achievement for all students.
References
Banks, J., & McGee, A. (2016). Multicultural education: Issues and perspectives. Wiley.
Sleeter, C. (2018). Multicultural education past, present, and future: Struggles for dialog and power-sharing.International Journal of Multicultural Education, 20(1), 5–20. Web.