Multicultural education relates to education and instruction designed for the cultures of several different races in an educational system. This approach to teaching and learning is based upon consensus building, respect, and fostering cultural pluralism within racial societies. Multicultural education acknowledges and incorporates positive racial idiosyncrasies into classroom atmospheres.
Generally speaking, multicultural education is predicated on the principle of educational equity for all students, regardless of culture, and it strives to remove barriers to educational opportunities and success for students from different cultural backgrounds. In practice, educators may modify or eliminate educational policies, programs, materials, lessons, and instructional practices that are either discriminatory toward or insufficiently inclusive of diverse cultural perspectives. Multicultural education also assumes that the ways in which students learn and think are deeply influenced by their cultural identity and heritage, and that to teach culturally diverse students effectively requires educational approaches that value and recognize their cultural backgrounds. In this way, multicultural education aims to improve the learning and success of all students, particularly students from cultural groups that have been historically underrepresented or that suffer from lower educational achievement and attainment.
Instructionally, multicultural education may entail the use of texts, materials, references, and historical examples that are understandable to students from different cultural backgrounds or that reflect their particular cultural experience such as teaching students about historical figures who were female, disabled, or gay (a less common practice in past decades). Since schools in the United States have traditionally used texts, learning materials, and cultural examples that commonly or even exclusively reflect an American or Eurocentric point of view, other cultural perspectives are often absent. Consequently, some students such as recently arrived immigrants or students of color, for example may be placed at an educational disadvantage due to cultural or linguistic obstacles that have been overlooked or ignored.

The goals of multicultural education include:
· Creating a safe, accepting and successful learning environment for all
· Increasing awareness of global issues
· Strengthening cultural consciousness
· Strengthening intercultural awareness
· Teaching students that there are multiple historical perspectives
· Encouraging critical thinking
· Preventing prejudice and discrimination

Advantages of Multicultural Education
According to the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME), multicultural education:
· Helps students develop positive self-image.
· Offers students an equitable educational opportunity.
· Allows multiple perspectives and ways of thinking.
· Combats stereotypes and prejudicial behavior.
· Teaches students to critique society in the interest of social justice.

Approaches to Multicultural Education
Dr. James A. Banks, educator and author of over 20 books on multicultural education, has identified four approaches that teachers can use for integrating multiculturalism into their curriculum. Let's look at each approach, one at a time:

1.) The Contributions Approach Teachers using this approach provide examples of the relevant contributions and heroic accomplishments of people from different races and cultures, without changing the lesson plan or goals of the unit being taught.
For example, in a science unit students could learn of the contributions of scientists from different countries or American ethnicities.

2.) The Additive Approach
This approach requires adding cultural realities that traditionally are left out of a curriculum that focuses on a traditional holiday, like Independence Day or Thanksgiving. Providing stories about how Native Americans were involved in the first Thanksgiving celebration would be one way to add a multicultural element. The Additive approach does not change the overall curriculum.

3.) The Transformation Approach
The transformation approach seeks to change the attitudes about cultural differences by using a different curriculum, one that encourages students to view problems and concepts from the perspective of different cultures.
For example, if students were studying the American Indian wars, they would consider the views of the settlers, soldiers, and also the native peoples.

4.) The Social Action Approach
The social action approach uses the concepts from the transformation curriculum and takes it a step further, where students take action for social change. After acquiring the necessary knowledge about something in their community that needs change, students get involved in activities that may effect that change, such as writing letters to senators or taking the time to reach out and befriend students of different races or ethnic backgrounds.

References

Banks, J. A. (1998). "Approaches to multicultural curricular reform." In Lee, E., Menkart, D., & Okazawa-Rey, M. (eds.). Beyond Heroes and Holidays: A Practical Guide to K-12 Antiracist, Multicultural Education and Staff Development. Washington, DC: Network of Educators on the Americas.

Banks, J. A. (1997). Educating Citizens in a Multicultural Society. New York: Teachers College Press.

Sleeter, C.E., & Grant, C. (1994). Making Choices for Multicultural Education: Five Approaches to Race, Class and Gender. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Bennett, C. (1995). Comprehensive multicultural education: Theory and practice (3rd ed.). Massachusetts: Allen & Bacon.

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/support/Pages/multicultural.aspx

Rizal Technological University
Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong, City
College of Education

Multicultural Education

Florentino, Mary Grace I.
Prof. Susan Dominguez