Effective Schooling is Being Culturally Responsive

Abstract

Instead of providing some ‘quick fix’ prescriptive recipes to education for culturally diverse school populations, this paper would argue instead in favour of the necessity to embrace a philosophy and practice of culturally responsive education in all schools. Effective education for cultural diversity is thus viewed in terms of successful classroom practices where all students are sensitively accommodated and thus learn successfully. Effective education is particularly directed and relevant to the specific and unique learning needs of all students. Theoretical consideration of culturally responsive schooling is relatively simple, but the practical implementation thereof often gives rise to fundamental challenges and problems. With the required empathetic understanding, knowledge and skills, which should be addressed in teacher training, teachers can make an exceptional contribution towards creating equal education opportunities for all children within a culturally diverse society. To ensure this, an accommodative, appreciative and a responsive approach to the reality of cultural diversity is of utmost importance.