Multicultural Education Policy - Draft

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION POLICY

RATIONALE Australia’s diversity encompasses the cultural, religious and linguistic diversity of people who may be Indigenous Australians, overseas-born Australians, refugees or Australians whose ancestors came from many backgrounds and birthplaces. We acknowledge this by ensuring our school curriculum reflects our cultural diversity. Having a culturally inclusive curriculum increases students’ understanding of the world and assists them to develop knowledge and skills required for their successful participation in a culturally and linguistically diverse society.

SCHOOL PROFILE Kensington Public School is situated in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. Cultural diversity has been evident at Kensington Public School for many years. Kensington Public School continues to have a high portion of students from language backgrounds other than English (LBOTE). The percentage has been over 70% for over 20 years. Over 40 different languages and dialects are spoken in our community’s homes.

Some of our students are second or third generation Australian born of Greek heritage. Our most recently arrived families are from various countries in Asia- China, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand and Japan. We have a growing number of students from NZ and Pacific Island background and a small number from Middle Eastern and European countries.

A percentage of LBOTE students were born in Australia, the rest have arrived and enrolled in Australian schools at varying ages and levels of English acquisition.

A portion of our students are in Australia on temporary visas – with parents studying or working at UNSW, and a few families with parents on diplomatic postings.

As at 2007, the majority of our staff was born in Australia and are mono- linguistic, speaking only English. Several teachers speak more than one language, office staff speak 2 or more languages and both cleaners were born overseas and have English as their second language.

The inclusion of Multicultural perspectives in all curriculum areas is designed to increase students’ understanding of the world and to assist them in developing knowledge and skills required for their successful participation in a culturally and linguistically diverse society. It provides students with opportunities to develop skills in recognising and valuing diverse ways of viewing the world and its people.

Students benefit from the incorporation of multicultural perspectives in the following areas:

 Teaching and learning strategies focus explicitly on developing understanding and acceptance of similarities and differences between individuals and within and between families, communities, societies and nations

 The content of teaching and learning strategies, designed to achieve syllabus outcomes and objectives, reflects the cultural and linguistic diversity of local communities, Australian society and the world

 Teacher sensitivity and awareness ensures that materials and examples used in lessons avoid bias, prejudice and discriminatory stereotypes

 Teachers’ programs and practices are inclusive of the experiences of all students

 School rules, practices and expectations model acceptance of cultural and linguistic diversity within the school, local community and beyond.

It is the responsibility of school communities to ensure that multicultural perspectives are incorporated into all aspects of the school curriculum. By doing so, schools continue to benefit the whole community by making a significant contribution to maintaining community harmony within an increasingly diverse and complex Australian society. The following are essential features of a culturally inclusive curriculum –  Classroom and schools are free of racism  Students from all backgrounds can identify as Australian and develop knowledge, skills and values to participate in society  Diverse cultures and backgrounds are recognised and valued  Students are provided with support to develop English language and literacy support  Teaching programs meet the specific needs of students from diverse backgrounds to ensure equitable learning outcomes  Schools actively engage with parents and community members from diverse backgrounds to support the engagement and learning of their children

Our classrooms at KPS ensure culturally inclusive curriculum by –  Knowing our students – backgrounds, skills and learning needs  Acknowledging and valuing cultural diversity  Building a culture of respect and encouraging positive relationships between all students  Acting decisively against prejudice and racism  Avoiding stereotyping or making assumptions about students according to their backgrounds At KPS the following are examples of what happens to ensure that the principles of a culturally inclusive school are evident:

The students and families sponsor children from different countries – money is raised, letters, photos and drawings are sent.

Participation in annual Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking Competitions. The topics are thought provoking and are shared amongst all classes.

Students speak at assemblies about occasions of special religious and cultural significance. Eg. Ramadan, Easter, Passover.

First language signs are evident around the school – welcoming new families.

Modern Greek and Mandarin LOTE classes are available to all students. Native speakers continue their knowledge and development of their first language and all other students have the benefit of learning a second language.

Annual Multicultural Day celebrations – parents and our school community are invited. Students greet in first languages and rotate around 4 countries (these countries are chosen from our major cultural backgrounds). A shared lunch is followed by a concert at which songs and dances from around the world are performed by students.

Information evenings are organised when necessary using interpreters in major languages – the aim is to increase new parents’ understanding of how schools work in NSW and at Kensington Public School, especially for families who are unfamiliar with NSW Education system – this results in increased awareness, greater participation by parents, and a stronger feeling of belonging.

Interpreters are used – telephone or in person when necessary or requested by the parents.

As part of HSIE – Stage 2 students study comparative religions in the unit “People and their Beliefs”. English as a Second Language (E.S.L)

Australia is a multicultural society in which English is the official language of communication. To have equal access to educational opportunities and an equal chance to reach their full potential in Australian society, all students need to be competent users of English. They must be supported and assisted to become fluent in all aspects of English. Teaching English as a second language is an essential element in, and for, a multicultural society. ESL teaching programs aim to support students’ learning of English so they can achieve equitable learning outcomes.

ESL learners are students who do not have English as a first language and are learning English as a second or additional language. ESL students have a diverse range of backgrounds – they enter Australian schools with varying levels of prior education. ESL students can be born in Australia, or have recently arrived, are permanent or temporary residents and can be refugees. ESL programs must cater for the diverse range of English language learning needs of all ESL students.

To achieve maximum effectiveness, the ESL program operates as an integral part of the whole school curriculum with ESL teachers working in co-operation with all staff to support ESL students.

The ESL support staff is responsible for determining the appropriate modes of delivery of the school’s ESL program, based on identified needs. This can be direct ESL teaching – intensive groups of students separated from peers. Collaborative ESL teaching – involving ESL and class teachers sharing responsibility and team teaching.

They plan and teach programs to meet the English learning needs of all ESL students. ESL teachers work collaboratively with class teachers to develop programs, practices and resources which support the English language and literacy learning of ESL students across key learning areas. LOTE

As an integral part of our school curriculum, Kensington offers two community languages for study over 7 years. When entering Kindergarten, students/parents make a choice to study Mandarin or Modern Greek.

In Year 1, students are divided into L1 (Background speakers) and L2 (Non background speakers) where they will continue to learn the language until Year 6. L2 students who excel in language studies may be accelerated to the L1 language group.

In the L1 group, the aim is to develop and extend their language skills, to enable them to more readily express their feelings, ideas and aspirations.

The aim of the L2 group is to develop an awareness and appreciation for a language and culture other than their own. In this class, L2 students focus on a theme or topic and some lesson time is allocated to learning the content in English. Lessons also include learning the alphabet, phrases and short sentences in Mandarin or Modern Greek.

In both L1 and L2 classes the four skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening are developed through games, rhymes, and song related activities as well as more formal studies.

Communication is the central goal of the LOTE program, along with creating tolerance, understanding and appreciation of another culture through the medium of language. Ultimately, it is a further goal to prepare students to continue their language study in their Secondary School. Most local high schools offer both Modern Greek and Mandarin language studies.