Equality and Diversity - Building a Culture of ... - Equality Authority

5. Classroom 2: Timetable for the class, maybe
one or two textbooks, copy of internal exam
timetable, homework notebook...
6. Choices for Students: List of subjects
taught in school, copy of letter to students
regarding subject choices, copy of notices
about extra-curricular activities or extracts
from school newsletter, school or class
year book...
Activity
Set up six stations around the classroom- one
area for each of the 6 headings above. Each
station should have the appropriate sheet of
flip chart paper and the envelope with the
additional ‘props’.
Divide the class into six groups, and give a
set of markers to each group. (If each group
has its own colour markers, you will be able
to track the groups’ contribution to each
sheet). Explain to the students that you are
asking them to carry out an investigation into
how inclusive the school is. They are to work
like detectives and to base their findings on
evidence that can be verified.
Note: Remind the students of their class
charter and of the principle of respect for
others. Set one additional ground rule for
this activity – that they should not name
any individual in their comments. This is
an investigation of the institution, not of
any individual.
Assign one group to each of the six stations.
This is their starting point. Explain that they
will have 10 minutes at their home station
to look at what is there and answer the
questions. They will write their answers and
any additional comments on the sheet of flip
chart paper before moving on to the next
station. Give the groups about 5-8 minutes at
subsequent stations. There they will read what
the previous group(s) have written and add
additional comments or elaborate on answers.
They continue this process until each group
has been to each station.
Then each group should move back to their
home station and look at the comments and
notes made by the other groups and see how
they compare to their views and opinions.
Are they similar or different? Have the other
groups added good insights?
Finish this part of the activity by asking
for volunteers to give feedback on the
following questions
What did you learn from the activity?
Was there anything that was especially
surprising, interesting, shocking?
Did all the groups agree with each other or
were there different viewpoints?
Then ask each group to write a brief report
on their area, collating the comments and
suggestions. They should select 1-2 examples
of where they think the school is doing really
well in terms of equality and inclusion, and
similarly select 1-2 examples of where things
need to be improved.
Take feedback from the groups on the areas
which are doing really well and those which
need to be improved and record them on
the board.
Conclude the lesson by asking the students to
vote on how inclusive they think the school
is, on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being a highly
inclusive school which promotes equality, and
1 being an exclusive school which does not
accept diversity or promote equality.
(If you notice a big difference between the
score given by ‘majority’ students and those
given by ‘minority’ students, this is something
you might consider looking in to at a later date
and in a sensitive way.)
Keep all the flip charts sheet as records of
the students’ work and for use as a basis for
potential action in the future (See Grounds for
Action – Action 8).
48 SECTION 3 EXPLORING EQUALITY