Unit 204: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Work with Children and Young People Assignment 1

Inclusive practice is identifying and understanding any barriers that are stopping children from completing the activity. We have to make sure that whatever the child’s background they are able to fully join in with everything within the school. This will make the children feel valued and have a sense of belonging.

Each school must produce a range of policies which formally set out the guidelines & procedures for ensuring equality. These must take account of the rights of all individuals & groups within the school. When considering the way policies work to ensure equality & inclusion, we often just think of the teaching & learning that is happening within the classroom. Policies must also pay regard to the values & practice which are part of all aspects of school life.

Critical issues facing educators today include; educational inequity, socio-economic status of students, cultural diversity, stereotyping, dominate cultural paradigms, and social disadvantage. Because of these issues, educators will be best prepared for classroom life if they find ways to adapt and modify the learning environment in order, to provide for inclusive regardless of the learners needs. All children in Australia are presented with the opportunity to attend schools which are designed to be inclusive for any and all abilities. Due to the diverse nature of the school age population in Australia classrooms are made up of an assortment of needs in relation to social, cognitive, and physical areas of learning.

Equality, diversity and inclusion – in what ways can you integrate these principles into your teaching.

1.1 Areas of legislation are ever changing but it is important to be able to identify current and relevant aspects of those which promote equality and value diversity.

In this essay i will be discussing equality amongst children, inclusion, inclusiveness and diversity and how to put these things mentioned into practise when working with children and young people.

As a teacher when delivering any lessons planned we have to make sure that each students individual needs are met, so they will feel included in the lesson. “Inclusion is about creating interesting, varied and inspiring learning opportunities for all learners, ensuring all learners contribute and are never disadvantaged by methods, language or resources” Wilson (2008).

So is important that we, critically, self-assess our attitudes and values, to find out what is necessary to improve or to change, towards a better understanding of the school diversity, a better awareness of possible barriers and how to face them, in a way to promote inclusion on school environment. Not making suppositions about children and young people and have a wider knowledge about their backgrounds, interests, abilities, individual needs and positive attributes, will help us to provide more efficient, suitable and personalised support for them. Is also important, to take in to account, at all the time, the importance of that diversity and the ways to avoid discrimination. Schools (in their policies) and we, as component part of the school, have the duty to guarantee that, anti-discriminatory practice (and not discrimination), is promoted.

The role of the teachers and the expectations of the students are clearly defined by the Australian Curriculum that supports various learning areas. It is imperative for the teachers to adhere to the curriculum in the lesson planning, planning activities that are culturally inclusive and the assessments. The strategies presented earlier, reflect the curriculum links. The first strategy aimed to create an awareness to acknowledge differences, and to embrace diversity. Some of the curriculum links supporting this strategy are presented below:

It is essential for Educators to recognise their own socio cultural and linguistic background so they are able to work alongside children. Educators need to be open to critiquing their own values and beliefs regarding equality, equity and justice so they can provide learning opportunities for children. Diverse activities teach young children to respect, and celebrate the differences in all people. Learning about different cultural aspects offers new experiences for children. It is crucial for Educators to recognise their own social beliefs, attitudes and values so they are able to create learning experiences for all children by respecting and valuing the cultural insights and that we gain and establish connections within the community. By having

Covering a wide range of concepts and taking a broader perspective of what inclusion entail, this book offers an overview of current research, policy and practice in diversity and inclusion in the early years. It is a clear introduction to what inclusive practice means for those working with young children in the early stages of their lives. With case studies and activities designed to help students relate to diverse situations, the author discusses the main issues surrounding: - race - gender - culture - disability and Special Educational Needs - English as an Additional Language - Traveller children - the contexts of inclusion and exclusion - good practice in early childhood settings - different perspectives of inclusion This is essential

It is apparent that when children are included and treated equally, with their interests, strengths and abilities taken into consideration, understood and supported they are much more likely to be successful (Saffigna, Franklin, Church & Taylor 2011a). By embracing the values of equity and diversity, schools are able to give students the opportunity to develop a sense of identity, helping children become confident and involved learners (Saffigna, Franklin, Church & Taylor 2011a). Kennedy & Stonehouse (2012) define diversity as all differences within individuals making them unique from others, culture, religious views, socio-economic status, gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental abilities and so on. The example which I will draw

This can be incorporated into an educational setting by integrating respect and tolerance for diversity into programs, policies and services as well as respecting and acknowledging the different needs of each child as they relate to their cultural backgrounds

Equity and fair treatments in schools should however not be perceived to be about 'minority rights '. Rather, they should be viewed to cater for every situation in the learning environments and protects every student from discrimination on the basis of their age, disability, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, sex and sexual orientation. The miss-conception has led to standardization of academic programs and the achievements that the students are expected to achieve, irrespective of their backgrounds and capabilities, which is actually counter-productive. The question is, 'Does equality and equity mean treating everybody the same? ' According to University of Birmingham (2015), everyone should be treated fairly regardless of

The inclusive notion has been attributed closely with the educational reform. Through the lens of inclusive education, there is an underlying concept to ponder upon one’s assumption, attitude and practice. The old view of inclusion apparently, however, depicted a misconception that only associates inclusive education with specialist education (Liasidou, 2015). In the article, Ainscow & Sandill (2010) described that inclusive education as an approach to support and welcome diversity among all learners. Thus, the perspective becomes broader, as it also informs practitioners to re-conceptualizing their practices. It means that schools in general, and teachers, in particular, need to reflect on how their current practice in providing education for the students. Among other considerations, schools and educators need to address the certain pedagogical practice.