30Mar
Early childhood education really begins in the home but these days, more and more parents are opting to enrol their preschool-aged children into early learning centres to help with their childhood development and to get kids more school ready.
We all know Australia is a multicultural country and cultural diversity has recently been heavily promoted in the employment world, but what is cultural diversity in early childhood education and why is it important?
Let’s take a closer look at cultural diversity in early education and what the benefits are.
What Is Culture In Early Childhood Education?
Basically, cultural diversity in early education for young children involves children from different cultures mixing and mingling with one another in the same centre, as well as children learning more about other cultures, differences and acceptance of those differences.
As we live in a multicultural nation, it’s vital that cultural diversity is dealt with at a young age and that’s why many early education facilities now place a focus on this important topic.
Kids From Different Cultures Can Learn From One Another
Just as adults in the workforce can learn different things from one another in a multicultural workplace, so too can children in a classroom or play environment. Having kids from a variety of cultures all interacting makes for a very interesting dynamic and each child can learn something from another child about their culture and way of life. Kids may even learn new games to play that they’d never even heard of before, for example.
Other things kids can learn from one another when it comes to cultural differences is more about the geography of other countries, what people do, the language they speak, the food they eat and so much more.
Children Learn To Be More Inclusive Rather Than Be Exclusive
Promoting and cultivating multiculturalism in early childcare ultimately trains kids to be more inclusive of kids from other cultures, rather than excluding them for being different. This is an important lesson that will be carried on all the way through school and into adulthood.
Humans tend to learn many of their habits and attitudes at a very early age. Therefore, learning about the acceptance of different cultures and their way of life at a very early age just makes perfect sense. It’s simply the right time to start teaching kids about cultural diversity and this can be achieved through enrolling your child in an early education centre that promotes diversity, as well as organising playdates with other children in the neighbourhood who are from other cultures.
Culturally Inclusive Curriculums
A quality early education centre will create a curriculum that is inclusive of all cultures, one that considers the differences among young children, along with respecting the culture and beliefs of the children’s families. Value is also placed on every child’s experience. In other words, the curriculum for early education is diverse and flexible and is by no means a “one size fits all” approach to early education.
A culturally diverse early education curriculum focuses on ensuring every child feels included and can participate in a variety of different activities. It’s all about acceptance.
Parents Also Need To Teach Children About Cultural Diversity and Acceptance
While educators in an early education centre will understand the importance of cultural diversity and have been trained in acceptance and to teach children the value of cultural differences and inclusion, it’s also up to parents to do the same.
If a child is reared in a home where the parents are largely not accepting of different cultures, it’s going to be difficult for that child to learn to accept children and families from other cultures, even when they are being taught to do so at their early education centre. Parents, therefore, need to be more accepting, set an example for their children and encourage children to be accepting of kids from different cultural backgrounds.
Endeavour Early Education Centres
Endeavour Early Education Centres promote cultural diversity and fully understand the value of teaching children the importance of cultural acceptance and positive interaction. To learn more about our centres or to enrol your child, get in touch with our staff to discuss your options.
