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Dr Andrew Azzopardi Department of Youth and Community Studies Faculty of Education University of Malta. A Maltese case study (in schools): Preventing exclusion of migrant children and young people. ...position myself….
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Dr Andrew AzzopardiDepartment of Youth and Community StudiesFaculty of EducationUniversity of Malta
A Maltese case study (in schools): Preventing exclusion of migrant children and young people
I will be problematising what constitutes an inclusive multi-ethnic school as a core institution in the formation of an individual’s personality and as a fundmental structure in the social world
Non-participation; • Discrimination; • Violence; • Prejudice and hostility; • The generation of collective forms; • Boundary maintenance.
Terms such as multiculturalism, pluralism, or diversity have become popular, and remind us that we might do well to avoid previous generations’ absolutist outlooks and rigid categories (Chetkom-Yankoo, 1999, p. 3).
My concerns will be heightened if in our Country we start creating ghettos - psychological, spiritual, religious, cultural, linguistic and any other most especially in our schools
Having a school community entails creating an environment where all can be with all, play and pray with all, learn with all…
Two of the most outstanding characteristics of educators is ‘their ability to adapt to society’s changing needs’ & ‘the capacity to read the signs of the times, detect, design & direct the changes as necessary’
In our research we bounce from reading school experiences to engaging with other social contexts, namely Open Centers and the community
This research is strongly committed towards the democratization of educational practices.
Identify educational environments that are responsive to cultural differences • Identify positive relational practices that are educative to children in mainstream culture as well as those of minority cultures • Identify effective and affective teaching practices • Make suggestions for the development of national educational visions and principles related to children with different ethnic backgrounds.
As researchers we are committed to disseminate our research findings in such a way to widely reach different educational communities.
Schools need to address the victimisation that is taking place in our society.
a shift from a reactive to an adaptive mentality; • a reallocation from a culture of (forced) tolerance, to a culture of change; • a discourse that is contained by ethical parameters and representation; • a provision to instill the values of inter-dependency and cross-fertilisation of culture. • a responsibility to influence the societal trends and engage students in dialogue.
The value base that will govern the educational terrain has to be; respect, diversity, inclusion, tolerance, cooperation, forbearance, acquaintance, broad-mindedness, peace, diversity, uniqueness, complementarity and mutuality as a basis for co-operative endeavors (Reardon, 1997).
Individual learning programs, • a curriculum that promotes progress in learning, • effective and effectual teaching, entry and exist procedures such as guidance and counseling and initial assessment, • opportunities for students to discuss and manage their own learning, • support for learning, procedures for assessing, recording and accrediting achievement, • resources and equipment, • trained staff, • and a positive ecology.
I am proposing ‘coexistence’ as the most basic and fundamental of solutions. It offers the best long run protection from the hostility and struggle that threatens contemporary societies.
Multiethnic schools ensure that all individuals can hang on to their identity, can take pride in their ancestry and have a sense of belonging.
Unity in diversity needs to be the basic premise of all that happens in education.
The teacher should be adept at implementing the multicultural curriculum with interactive and cooperative strategies (Banks, 1999).
Banks (1999) explains, "A major goal of multicultural education is to create equal educational opportunities for students from different racial, ethnic, and social-class groups."
A multicultural education fosters inter-group knowledge and understanding and equips students to function effectively in a global society
1. To promote and foster intergroup understanding 2. To help students develop more positive attitudes toward cultural diversity 3. To identify the impact of racism and other barriers to acceptance of differences.
Social disadvantage creates a belief in the minority’s innate inferiority and the next stage would be prejudice and bigotry. We need to obliterate this cycle of auto-annihilation. I believe students are ready for the challenge.