Throughout my entire schooling I attended schools in largely
mono-cultural areas. The primary school I went to had sixty something students
and an animal yard with goats, chickens ducks etc. While I adored this school
and the way in which I was taught, it gave me very little insight into the
cultural diversity of the larger country and world in which I lived. To the
best of my knowledge, English was the native language of the vast majority of
students and families in the school during my years of attendance. Even the My
School website recognises that this school has a 5% student proportion with a
language background other than English and 0% Indigenous students.
The singular culture of the students and families was also reflected amongst the teaching staff. While in high school, “Harmony Day” was generally the only time that issues of difference and diversity were ever discussed or acknowledged. Having read just a few of the policies for education regarding culture, it would seem that New South Wales schools are generally quite varied within their cultural identities. Both the identities of individuals, but also the identities that help shape the wider school community.
Ho (2011) reflects on the difference in language backgrounds within areas of Sydney. This can be directly related to my own education, even though the area I was educated in extends past the realms of the study’s geographic location. My entire schooling was completed within the public sector which Ho suggests should mean a “mix” of cultures, and I’m sure it would have, if I was situated in a larger community within a different area. While my educational experiences within high school may not have given me cultural awareness, the travel experiences I had definitely did. During my time in high school I travelled, which I discuss in other blog posts, and this gave me so much insight into the vast array of cultures and identities that existed within our diverse world. While I sometimes wonder what I would be like if I hadn’t had these experiences, I am grateful for them and the way in which they have shaped me.
The singular culture of the students and families was also reflected amongst the teaching staff. While in high school, “Harmony Day” was generally the only time that issues of difference and diversity were ever discussed or acknowledged. Having read just a few of the policies for education regarding culture, it would seem that New South Wales schools are generally quite varied within their cultural identities. Both the identities of individuals, but also the identities that help shape the wider school community.
Ho (2011) reflects on the difference in language backgrounds within areas of Sydney. This can be directly related to my own education, even though the area I was educated in extends past the realms of the study’s geographic location. My entire schooling was completed within the public sector which Ho suggests should mean a “mix” of cultures, and I’m sure it would have, if I was situated in a larger community within a different area. While my educational experiences within high school may not have given me cultural awareness, the travel experiences I had definitely did. During my time in high school I travelled, which I discuss in other blog posts, and this gave me so much insight into the vast array of cultures and identities that existed within our diverse world. While I sometimes wonder what I would be like if I hadn’t had these experiences, I am grateful for them and the way in which they have shaped me.
WORKS REFERENCED:
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority
(ACARA) My School. Retrieved October 8, 2013, from www.myschool.edu.au
Ho, C. (2011, December). Respecting the Presence of Others:
School Micropublics and Everyday Multiculturalism. Journal of Intercultural
Studies , 603-619.
Posted by Emily Mitchell
Posted by Emily Mitchell
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