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Everyone needs to be given equal opportunities, regardless of their cultural or ethnic backgrounds.

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Everyone needs to be given equal opportunities, regardless of their cultural or ethnic backgrounds. Early childhood teachers have an important role in understanding, and establishing the concepts of critical multiculturalism and intercultural pedagogy to children and families attending their centres. The Treaty of Waitangi, signed between Maori chiefs and the British Crown, is the founding document that established New Zealand as a bicultural state (Lee, Carr, Soutar, & Mitchell, 2013); however, migration has resulted in the state fast becoming a multiethnic one (Metge, 1990). Initially, migrants came from various states of Britain (Philips, 2013, a). However, from the mid-1960s, the prospect of better job opportunities attracted people …show more content…

According to May and Slater (2010), such tokenistic attitudes contributes to liberal multiculturalism. Liberal multiculturalism is about tolerating the ethnicity, "linguistic differences" (p.4) and cultural differences of the minority culture (May & Slater, 2010). While it is easily implemented, it contributes to inequality and does not consider the minority culture as equals to the dominant culture (May & Slater, 2010). It is only through a deeper understanding and awareness of the different cultural values, can quality multiculturalism be embraced. Otherwise, the actions only serve to perpetuate the "stereotypical views of ethnic groups" (Chan 2009, p. 30).

On the other hand, the concept of critical multiculturalism is about looking critically from the perspective of institutional racism and oppression that exists in the dominant Pakeha culture (Chan, 2009). Critical multiculturalism establishes, and advocates social justice for all concerned (Nieto, 1999, cited by Chan, 2009). In order for this to happen, early childhood educators need to start by first recognizing and addressing their own cultural identity, in order that they may be able to see, understand, and appreciate the cultural and ethnic diversity in others (Rhedding-Jones, 2010). This idea is further reinforced by Ponciano and Shabazian, (2012) who state that only through such self-reflection, and personal interactions with the various cultures, can

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