Diversity in BC Schools: A Framework - Racial Equity Tools

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Diversity in BC Schools: A FrameworkRationale“Children, it has been said,represent our future – and itis true! Each and every one ofthem, in their own way, willinfluence what the world oftomorrow will be like. Theywill help determine what valuesand traditions we preserve, whatideas and knowledge we willhold, and, ultimately what weas a society and as a provincerepresent.”The Report of the RoyalCommission on Education,A Legacy for Learners, 1988The School Act articulates the purpose of the British Columbiaschool system: to enable all learners to develop their individualpotential and to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes neededto contribute to a healthy, democratic and pluralistic society and aprosperous and sustainable economy.To achieve this purpose, the school system must strive to ensurethat differences among learners do not impede their participationin school, their mastery of learning outcomes, or their ability tobecome contributing members of society.The school system is expected to promote values expressed in theConstitution Act, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the OfficialLanguages Act, the Multiculturalism Act, the BC Human Rights Code,the Employment Equity Act and the School Act, respecting the rightsof all individuals in accordance with the law.The school system therefore strives to create and maintainconditions that foster success for all students and that promote fairand equitable treatment for all. These conditions include:To learn effectively, studentsneed to feel secure andaccepted. And staff members,too, have the right to feel safeand secure as they carry outtheir professional responsibilities.“The school, as one of theinstitutional bulwarks ofdemocratic life, has a particularresponsibility in its teaching andoperational practices to ensurethat it does not perpetuatetraditional kinds of stereotypingor the inequalities theypromote.”The Report of the RoyalCommission on Education,A Legacy for Learners (1988)• equitable access to and equitable participation in qualityeducation for all students• school cultures that value diversity and respond to the diversesocial and cultural needs of the communities they serve• school cultures that promote understanding of others andrespect for all• learning and working environments that are safe and welcoming,and free from discrimination, harassment and violence• decision-making processes that give a voice to all members ofthe school community• policies and practices that promote fair and equitable treatmentBritish Columbia’s school system is making progress in addressingdiversity.School curriculum honours the diversity represented in families,communities, the province, the nation and the world. Becausemastery of one of Canada’s official languages is central to successin school and beyond, British Columbia provides additional servicesto students for whom English is not a first language.British Columbia schools are developing strategies to promotemutual understanding and increased respect for cultural differences,and to take action against racism.4 BC Ministry of Education
IntroductionSchools are making an increasing provision for the inclusion ofstudents with special educational needs. Government has made acommitment to improving the success of students of aboriginal originby addressing the gap between them and their non-aboriginal peers.The school system is becoming more sensitive to students whoare gay, lesbian or trans-gendered, and has begun developingmechanisms to ensure their inclusion and fair treatment in schoolcommunities. Research continues to examine ways to ensure thatsocioeconomic background is not a barrier to quality education andschool success.The education system has botha responsibility and opportunityto practice what it teaches.Addressing the needs of an increasingly diverse population presentsan ongoing challenge. The British Columbia school system has aunique responsibility and opportunity to meet this challenge bothby teaching understanding and respect for all persons, and bymodeling understanding and respect for all persons in practice.Purpose“Concerns about legal liabilityare potent driving forces behindthe making of policies. Withinlegal parameters, policies providea framework for direction ofstaff; they are evidence thatin-depth consideration hasbeen given to the balancingof competing interests; theyarticulate choices. They areseldom in themselves a completedefence to legal liability, butthey are often an importantfirst step in protecting thedistrict from liability.”Judith A. ClarkKeeping Schools Safe: APractical Guide for Principalsand Vice-Principals, Part II: ALegal Framework, June 1999This document is a conceptual framework. Its purpose is to:• assist the school system in meeting its obligations under theConstitution Act, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,the BC Human Rights Code, the Multiculturalism Act, the OfficialLanguages Act, the Employment Equity Act, and the School Act; and• assist the school system in its ongoing efforts to create andmaintain learning and working environments that are responsiveto the diverse social and cultural needs of the communities itserves.This framework document describes key concepts, referencesguiding legislation and includes important implications for policies,strategies and initiatives in the school system related to:• honouring diversity and promoting human rights• preventing discrimination, harassment and violence• responding to incidents of discrimination, harassment orviolence when they occurIt is designed to assist in:• reviewing existing policies and practices to ensure they areconsistent with legislation• enhancing existing policies and practices to ensure that theyaddress diversity• developing or implementing new policies and practices todirectly address the diverse needs of the people served by theschool systemBC Ministry of Education 5
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Diversity in BC Schools: A Framework - Racial Equity Tools

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