Over the years, the concept of unity in diversity was not implemented effectively. For, to achieve unity in diversity, acceptance and integration there needs to be understanding and this can only be achieved through education. Healthy multicultural environments can only be achieved through a conducive learning environment where students are taught about identity, disability, different cultures, religions and traditions.

Discrimination, racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia can only be mitigated if addressed more profoundly within the classroom. Both students and teachers come to school with preconceived ideas which may do more harm than good. Thus, educators too need to first be aware of their own biases by embracing deeper their own identities and acknowledging any ideologies they might have because of their own backgrounds and experiences. For educators to be able to delve into equity they also need to understand privilege and engage in critical discussions on how this might lead to diverse outcomes within a classroom context. This module is mainly intended to help educators become critical of education policy and practice at macro and micro level with regard to how these facilitate or inhibit equality and integration in society and the community. Course participants will be expected to identify and develop their own personal position and to challenge normative assumptions with a view to promote transformation towards equity and social justice by mainly engaging with the Early Leaving from Education and Training Policy (and other related ones such as the Inclusion policy) that was specifically developed to minimise educational disadvantage within schools.

This module empowers educators to critically reflect on how to address inequality and difference within the classroom by developing a whole school approach to student learning. It provides  them with the right tools to identify students at risk of experiencing disadvantage and to engage with multiple stakeholders including students’ from diverse backgrounds. The course also provides, course participants with tools and pedagogical assistance on how to address sensitive situations in the classroom like, disability, socio-economic barriers, racism, xenophobia, islamophobia, extremist views and radicalisation through a case study approach and by utilising the equity-literacy framework.  It helps them teach students how to be critical about what they see on TV, on the net and on social media as well as punctuating events around the world. Through the tools provided, it will help them to tackle inequalities and differences in schools by developing a sustainable action plan.

As course participants progress through the module they will be encouraged to engage with critical theory, case studies and social justice literature to investigate equity and diversity to transform their practices making them more inclusive.  Themes of ethnicity, disability, religion, gender and poverty and the interaction between them will be considered, with an emphasis on how they influence the individual and his socio-cultural context.

By the end of this programme, participants should be able to: