The Importance Of Multiculturalism In Education

School Multiculturalism

The learning environment of our classrooms are transforming with the progression of the multicultural demographics of students. With the rise of the number of immigrants coming to the United States, educators today are having to adapt to the various cultures that are being introduced to their classrooms. There is an expectation that educators must be aware of those cultures and be considerate of the learners to develop a process of educating them in way that is equitable for all (Bosbay, 2014). Furthermore, the U.S. Census Bureau predicts by the year 2050, people of color with make up the majority of the U.S. population (Nieto, 2012). This transformation of the Anglo-Saxon population of the U.S. will change the culture

Implementing multiculturalism in education may be part of the solution of creating a society that overcomes the racial barriers that inflict groups of people from coexisting. The focus of reforming our educational system to include multiculturalism may in fact be the catalyst to close the achievement gap that exist among the student population as this may create a more balanced school climate (Blackford, 2013). Therefore, with a balanced and enriching learning environment, educators can focus on teaching rather than disciplining which may lead to educational success (Nieto, 2012). According to Nieto and Bode, 2012, there are seven basic characteristics of multicultural education that are needed to be effective and be of value to society; antiracist, include basic education, important for all students, universal, focus on social justice, a process, and be critical education (Nieto,

This process will include developing relationships between students, teachers, parents and community (Nieto, 2012). This process can be more complex than the traditional approach as it will involve an emotional investment to change the perceptions and bias’ students may have towards an ethnic or religious group. Therefore, a higher level of academic and behavioral expectations will be necessary in order for the process to be successful. Furthermore, it will take a commitment by the school district and community to make the necessary changes in order for the process to be accepted. Hence, the winner in this process is the new immigrant and current students that are attending a school dedicated to multicultural education and the community at