Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Towards Equity and Inclusivity in Schools

At present schools are heavily biased towards unifo rmity over diversity. Uniformity continues to dominate school practices d espite acknowledgement and awareness of teachers about differences among learners. In vi ew of the multi-cultural contexts in which our schools function, we need to redesign our schoo l practices, particularly pedagogical one's, so as to make all students feel safe, comfor table and respected. In this context, implementation of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, tha t takes into account students' home and community experiences, and characterizes, inter ali a, the role of teacher, teaching strategies, student assessment process, seems relevant. Teacher s need to be oriented how to adapt curricula, instructional materials, and assessment practices to relate them to the values and cultural norms of students. Students bring their own individual approaches, tal ents and interests to the learning situation. An individual learner's culture, family background, and socioeconomic level affect his or her learning. The context in which someone grows and develops has an important impact on learning. In order to ensure that all students feel safe, welcomed and accepted, and inspired to succeed in learning, schools and classrooms must be responsive to culture. Culture has an important impact on the opportunities for success f or every student in our schools. But in reality, despite acknowledgment of important differ ences among learners, uniformity continues to dominate school practices. Schools are heavily biased toward uniformity over