The challenges of increasing diversity in schools today Essay

The challenges of increasing diversity in schools today - Essay Example In Canada, for instance, schools continue to face significant challenges in accepting diversity. Usual is the recognition of the holidays or foods or costumes of different cultures, however, those are only superficial as compared to understanding difficult issues around accommodating so many diverse beliefs and customs. On top of this, schools struggle to accommodate students whose first language is not English or French, or other similar needs because they lack the specialized capacity to provide for them (Levin, 2008). In the US, upon entering elementary school, large numbers of limited-English-proficient and bilingual students are placed in programs that assume relatively low levels of achievement and focus on remedial education (Independent Commission on Chapter 1, 1992; Stanford Working Group, 1993; U.S. Department of Education, 1993). Such inequities in different children’s expectations for school success may be a grave affront to equal opportunities that Americans highly value and take pride in. Thus, it threatens the future well-being of the society relying on the harmonious coexistence of multiple cultures. Government, as well as non-government organizations such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the National Association for Family Day Care are exerting efforts in promoting multi-cultural education through the publication of curricula and handbooks focusing on an anti-bias setting. Likewise, the National Association of State Boards of Education Task Force on Early Childhood Education encourages the use of children’s home language and culture to foster the development of basic skills. Such efforts seek to ensure that children’s first school experiences are positive in that they feel accepted for who they are regardless of their cultural background. The controversies surrounding the growing diversity in