This is set within the context of the school’s aims and objectives which were produced in consultation with, and the agreement of Management and Trustees.
Aims
- To prepare children to live and work in harmony as a member of a multi-racial society.
- To develop a curriculum that recognises the common goals of all cultures but does not ignore the fact that their realisation may be different.
- To promote attitudes of tolerance, value and respect for all people regardless of race, colour or creed by encouraging open minded attitudes to cultural and racial differences.
- To adopt a world perspective to all areas of the curriculum so that the cultural diversity is seen in a positive sense.
- To help every child to feel secure and accepting of his/her true identity.
Objectives
- To establish the concept that a Briton may not be white and that dual identity is possible and acceptable, e.g. Muslim and British, Christian and Indian.
- To break through the stereotypes of ideas and associations commonly held towards people of different origins.
- To encourage the recognition of the specials customs, traditions and rituals of every ethnic group and that are to be valued and respected as an enriching and integral part of our society.
- To recognise the significance of the contribution that different societies have made to the growing understanding and knowledge of mankind.
- To recognise that language is a vital part of an ethnic group’s identity and is an affirmation of cultural identity.
- To recognise linguistic diversity in the school. All pupils should feel that their languages are valued and that their bilingualism is regarded as advantageous.
- To develop a coherent and comprehensive approach to multi-cultural education so that it permeates all areas of the school’s life and work.
- To nurture amongst all staff, a sympathetic awareness of all cultural diversities reflected in the school community. This would encourage mutual respect amongst children of different cultural backgrounds, positive self-image positive attitudes towards our multi-cultural society. The children themselves should be seen and used as the main educational resources.
- To extend and strengthen contacts with parents and community links, which ideally should not be totally staff directed. To utilise resources available to the local community. The children may then develop understanding and respect the variety of beliefs which are part of our community.
Assessment
As multi-cultural education is concerned with attitudes, its effectiveness is not quantifiable but is developmental and experimental and therefore assessment will be namely subjective.
- Subjective assessment of attitudes and behaviour of pupils, by teachers and other staff, e.g. pupils respect for each other.
- Subjective assessment of attitudes and behaviour of pupils.
- Subjective assessment of all staff by pupils and parents.
- Development of thinking on key concepts by responses to questions posed by:-
a) Teachers
b) Other pupils
c) Other people’s lives – real, historical and fictional.
- Content of teaching and resources used in all curriculum areas.
- Closer relationship between home and school.
- Content of written work and expression in aesthetic areas of the curriculum as a reflection of pupils’ awareness of the multi-cultural nature of our society.
Curriculum
To provide harmony within a multi-racial society, Rawdhatul Uloom ensures that:
- Both students and staff are aware that any sorts of prejudices against other cultures is not tolerated and discouraged.
- All students are actively encouraged to learn and appreciate beliefs and customs in other cultures in our society.
- Equal opportunities for all students are encouraged regardless of beliefs, colour, race and attitudes in society.
- The staff provide a positive influence towards all students despite their cultures, leading a good example to follow.
As part of the everyday education a multicultural curriculum will be planned, making sure that cultural diversity is enhanced within and outside of the classroom. Rawdhatul Uloom consists of the full student body following the same religion, Islam. This will be taken into consideration within the multicultural curriculum.