What is Cultural Inclusivity?

Ontario's Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy

Cultural inclusivity in the classroom is all about welcoming and including all students, regardless of culture, ethnicity, race, religion, beliefs, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual preference, or language proficiency. Learning environments should be made equally beneficial and accessible to all students. Cultural inclusion means creating a safe and adaptive environment that welcomes all and excludes none – truly embracing diversity.

Cultural diversity and inclusion allows all students to realize their potential, as well as contribute to and enrich the school community. Such inclusion allows for the sharing of diverse perspectives and experiences. Exposure to various experiences and people that values all of those experiences and people teaches students empathy and how to get along with others in a democratic society. An inclusive classroom and school also teaches students the importance of inclusion for the greater good of the community. Without cultural inclusivity, students may feel that they do not belong or are not involved in the classroom environment, which can lead to lowered self-esteem and self-worth, the belief that they are incapable of success, and lowered academic achievement.

In the long term, not being valued by your peers, teachers, and school system can lead to disengagement from the schooling experience, and being pushed out of the system. When schools lose learners, we, as a society, lose out on the many potentially worthwhile contributions of those individuals.

In 2009 the Ontario Government created the "Reach Every Student" Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy. The three core priorities outlined in the strategy are for:

"the ministry to provide direction, support, and guidance to the education sector, so that every student has a positive learning environment in which to achieve his or her highest potential;
each school board to develop and implement an equity and inclusive education policy and guidelines for the board and its schools; and
each school to create and support a positive school climate that fosters and promotes equity, inclusive education, and diversity" (p.11)

Jackie Jordan Irvine, Geneva Gay and Kris Gutierrez, Education experts, discuss culturally relevant pedagogy and how it is implemented in the classroom.

Why is Cultural Inclusivity Important?

Amber Prentice, a middle school teacher of English Language Learners (ELL) describes how to create a welcoming classroom environment for all students.

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

Creating a Welcoming Environment

Government of Ontario (2009). Reach Every Student. Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy. Retrieved June 1, 2013, from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/equity.pdf

Newfoundland Labrador Canada (2013). Inclusive School Culture. Department of Education. Retrieved June 1, 2013, from http://www.ed.gov.nl.ca/edu/k12/inclusion.html

Ruggs, E. & Hebl, L. (2012). Diversity, Inclusion, and Cultural Awareness for Classroom and Outreach Education. In B. Bogue & E. Cady (Eds.). Apply Research to Practice (ARP) Resources.

UNESCO (2012). Inclusive Education. Education. Retrieved June 1, 2013, from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/inclusive-education

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LEARN MORE ABOUT "REACH EVERY STUDENT"