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Including the North: a Comparative Study of the Policies on Inclusion and Equity in the Circumpolar North

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Including the North: a Comparative Study of the Policies on Inclusion and Equity in the Circumpolar North INCLUDING THE NORTH: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE POLICIES ON INCLUSION AND EQUITY IN THE CIRCUMPOLAR NORTH Editors: Mhairi C. Beaton Diane B. Hirshberg Gregor R. Maxwell Jennifer Spratt Table of contents Foreword .................................................................................................................................... 1 Social Justice and the Inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in Canada ............................................ 3 Building a nation in the classroom: Exploring education policy in post-colonial Greenland .. 20 Policies for Inclusion in Iceland: Possibilities and Challenges ................................................. 30 Inclusion policies in two UK countries – vernacular responses to global influence ................ 40 Schooling for everyone: Norway’s adapted approach to education for everyone ................. 53 Historical and Political Perspectives on Inclusive School Systems in Norway ......................... 67 Steps towards and challenges of inclusive education in northern Finland ............................. 78 Democratic values and student participation in Swedish education: essentials for a sustainable and equal society .................................................................................................. 93 Development of multicultural and inclusive social-educational provisions in the Arkhangelsk region ..................................................................................................................................... 103 Mind the Gap…Mind the Chasm: Exploring Inclusion and Equity in Alaska’s Education System .................................................................................................................................... 112 Looking north through southern eyes ................................................................................... 125 Contributions ......................................................................................................................... 135 Foreword This book celebrates the University of the Arctic Thematic Network on Teacher Education for Social Justice and Diversity. The Network was established in Ulan Ude, Republic of Buryatia in Russia, in 2015 with six founding member organisations from Finland, Canada, Russia, Scotland and Mongolia. Led by the University of Lapland, the Network is finding its feet and gradually establishing itself. In three years, it has grown quickly and currently hosts 22 organisations that share interest in promoting social justice and resilient societies through teacher education. The Network now includes institutions from all of the eight Arctic countries as well as Scotland, Mongolia and France. The Network is in line with the Finnish Chairmanship of the Arctic Council’s priority area of education. From 2017 to 2019, the Arctic Council’s Sustainable Development Working Group hosted the project ‘Teacher Education for Diversity and Equality in the Arctic’, which emphasises that teachers are the key factor in providing a quality education. To promote sustainable communities, teachers who work in the Arctic and in northern communities must be committed to their work and be inspired by the Arctic. The project has strengthened the Network of education specialists in the Arctic in cooperation with the University of the Arctic. This book is part of that project’s outcome and an excellent example of global networking. The Network is not only for northerners. In 2018, it was granted UNITWIN/UNESCO Network status allowing global south partners to join Network activities. Current global south partners come from New Zealand and Ethiopia, and we are eager to welcome many others. The Network focuses on teacher education at different student levels from early childhood education to higher- and adult education, with a specific focus on social justice and diversity. It considers the diverse populations, cultures and socio-economic conditions of the Arctic and other regions with vast rural areas, long distances and indigenous populations. Social justice as a principled approach appears viable in responding to the needs of diverse student populations. This includes educational policies and practices that enable equity and equality, for example, such as ensuring that fair educational opportunities are available even in remote areas. Socially sustainable development necessitates a contextual understanding on the part of future and current teachers and teacher educators. For example, some of the important questions are: ‘What are the social, economic, cultural, political and geographical contexts in which teaching and learning take place?’ and ‘How can nationally developed curricula be translated into the context of the region?’ Long distances and limited access to resources invite educators and other professionals to create innovative ways to respond to the needs of diverse learners. Accordingly, education in and for long distances and rural areas makes demands on both pre- and in-service teacher education in terms of innovative pedagogical approaches to distance management in teaching and learning. Future and existing teachers need cultural sensitivity in skills, 1 knowledge and abilities to act in culturally diverse contexts. To develop these themes further, more research and especially research collaboration across the globe are necessary. This book is the Network’s first endeavour in shared research. It explores inclusive policies in nine countries across the Arctic and beyond, including a chapter from a Sami perspective. The book discusses a wide range of inclusive policies and highlights similarities and differences between the countries. As it provides a comprehensive overview, in this sense, it is a unique piece of work. In my opinion, it tells the story of the Network and of active and dedicated teamwork across the globe. Our people become easily inspired and excited, aspiring for and attaining great goals, such as the creation of this book. I am sure you will enjoy reading this book and travelling in your mind from country to country to understand their inclusive policies. If you are interested in learning more about the Network and what we are accomplishing, you are always welcome to visit our website at www.ulapland.fi/uatn. At the Arctic Circle in the beginning of 2019 Professor Tuija Turunen TN Leader 2 Social Justice and the Inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in Canada Sylvia Moore, Erika Maxwell, and Kirk Anderson Introduction This chapter examines how government policies regarding social inclusion have impacted the Indigenous1 Peoples of Canada. Although Canada has embraced multiculturalism as a national identity, Aboriginal Peoples have remained largely outside of the multiculturalism discourse and inclusion policies. This chapter begins with a review of the government legislation that has established a system of social equity in the country but has excluded Indigenous Peoples. It then examines the Indian Act, which attempted to forcibly assimilate the First Peoples through ‘eliminat[ing] Aboriginal governments; ignor[ing] Aboriginal rights; terminat[ing] the Treaties; and, through a process of assimilation, cause[d] Aboriginal Peoples to cease to exist as distinct legal, social, cultural, religious, and racial entities in Canada’ (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015, p. 1). In conjunction with the Indian Act, residential schools further enacted a process of forced invisibility on First Peoples. The chapter ends with a description of various initiatives that have been inspired by the Calls to Action of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) (2015). Canada’s National Policies for Diversity and Inclusion In 1971, the Canadian Prime Minister declared that Canada would adopt multiculturalism as an official policy. The policy recognized the diversity of nationalities and cultures reflected by the country’s citizens. Together with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (CCRF) (1982) and the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) (1977), the Canadian Multiculturalism Act (CMA) (1988) characterizes Canada as a country of equality and inclusion. These policies have not only been enacted through the judicial system, but they are also evident in education policies on inclusion and in curricula that explicitly teaches about the social fabric of Canadian society. Multiculturalism Policy In an effort to create an equal Canadian society, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau (1971) proposed that Canada should adopt a multicultural policy within a bilingual framework. This policy would protect the cultural freedom of all Canadians and create national unity by 1 The terms ‘Indigenous’, ‘First Peoples’, and ‘Aboriginal’ are used interchangeably in this paper. ‘Indian’ is the terminology of the Indian Act and is used specifically in that context. 3 celebrating differences. The policy advocated support for the maintenance and development of heritage cultures, intercultural sharing, the reduction of barriers to full and equitable participation in Canadian society, and the learning of at least one official language (Berry, 2013; Dewing & Leman, 1994/2013; Trudeau, 1971). In 1972, a Multicultural Directorate was approved to implement multicultural policies and programmes supporting human rights, citizenship, and immigration. The Ministry of Multiculturalism, established in 1973, focused on implementing multicultural initiatives in all government sectors. The Canadian Consultative Council on Multiculturalism, later the Canadian Ethnocultural Council, created
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