Inclusion is not just for children - reflections on bias and Racism in education & care.

An Amplify article that we wrote for CELA in 2023, “Should We Be Talking With Children About Skin Colour?” received a reader comment, that prompted us to respond, because we believe that “Inclusion, is not just for children.”

Should We Be Talking With Children About Skin Colour?                                                        
“This is a wonderful article on how not to ignore the issue or pretend it is not occurring in the early childhood sector. I think we are to teach children more understanding of race, culture, and skin tone in multicultural Australia, I 100% agree. BUT we need to teach educators and co-educators first and foremost.
I am a preschool teacher and have a different skin tone. I stand out in the crowd. From my own experience I have noticed professionals who work in the Early Years do not even look or acknowledge me or talk to me (even if I was the first one to wish or talk to them) when attending face-to-face meetings. If early childhood professionals behave in such a manner, how do you think they will guide children who are under their care? In my opinion, it is the people who work in the EC sector who need more professional development sessions about racism and understanding others. If educators show no empathy or respect towards other educators who look different from them...how will they be role models to the children under their care? UNCONCIOUS BIAS.
Whoever is reading my comments needs to take into account the change needs to be from the grassroots level. "One cannot preach if they cannot practice what they are preaching about" It is the first time i am able to voice my side of the story so that we do not miss the rich culture and understanding that is brought into early childhood educators who come from a variety of backgrounds”.                                                                                                  
Gladys responds to our CELA Amplify Article (20th Feb, 2023).
 
Inclusion, is not just for children. It extends to everyone. As adults, before we can authentically advocate for and educate around inclusion, we need to reflect on what inclusion means to us, the role we play as inclusive practitioners and the inclusive practices we share with children, families & fellow Educators every day.

As Service Providers of Bilingual & Cultural Inclusion Support programs, the comment we received, is one we recognise and have heard countless times before. Our work at Diversity Kids informs us of the inherent bias (conscious and unconscious) faced by Educators in Education and Care settings, particularly those from Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds (CALD).

Some other examples of bias & racism that we have encountered over time include:
“A casual, Bilingual Educator working in an Outside School Hours Care Service for twelve weeks. Each day on arrival the Bilingual Educator greets other educators. Two out of the three Educators are welcoming and friendly. A third does not respond and walks in the opposite direction when she is greeted.”

“One particular Educator in a Long Day Care Centre, has been giving a Culturally & Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Educator a hard time. She is constantly asking the CALD Educator to repeat herself and says they can’t understand her when she talks. Once the Educator thought she might have even been laughing at her. The Educator would have liked to say something but is unsure how to go about it, and whether there will be any repercussions.”

We’ve also heard examples of Educators making comment about their fellow CALD Educators speaking in their home language and that they need to speak English as they are in Australia now (even in instances where they have specifically been allocated to a service to provide language support to children who are not fluent in English). Subtle and overt reactions to and comments about accents, cultural dress, food, religious activities, dismissing cultural ideas & contributions. Educators report that sometimes, it has nothing to do with comments, but more to do with the person’s behaviour, response or the way they are glanced at or made you feel.

Education & Care settings play a crucial role in shaping young minds and nurturing our future generation. Our Educators & Teachers are pedagogical leaders, who have a profound impact on children’s development and learning, are responsible for providing children with a culturally safe, inclusive, respectful and supportive environment for learning and growth.    
But how can this truly happen, if our Educators themselves harbour and display bias, in the form of racial prejudice in the workforce (towards fellow Educators, children & families)?
How can Educators authentically role model cultural inclusion and diversity, deliver culturally sensitive and safe programs that reflect and respect every child and their culture, if there are underlying cultural biases?

And we’re not just referring to racism, prejudice or discrimination towards Educators from Culturally & Linguistically Diverse backgrounds. Quite often we hear examples of Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Educators showing bias towards others from different cultural backgrounds to theirs.

Our Frameworks highlight the importance of inclusion & diversity. The National Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) uses the words "diversity" and "inclusion" in several places, including the EYLF's definition of inclusion, the EYLF's Principle of Respect for Diversity, and the framework's five learning outcomes.

Educators are expected to take on the critical role of educating children to respect and appreciate our diverse races, cultures and ways of being. But this can be challenging if our Educators are operating at different stages of their cultural responsiveness & competence journey, and if they need to reflect on, unpack and address their own biases.

There is no place for prejudice or racism in Education & Care settings. Whether the racism is subtle or overt, conscious or unconscious, directed at children, families or fellow Educators. Our Education and Care settings should be culturally safe spaces for all, and environments where diversity and inclusive practices are embedded and celebrated by all and on all levels.

Racial prejudice can have consequences on the well-being of those targeted. Educators may for example feel stress, anxiety, a depleted sense of belonging and lack of confidence. Experiencing racial prejudice may undermine their ability to share their strengths and knowledge and contribute to children’s learning .

Children exposed to racial prejudice are too young to be able to understand and express this experience. That is why it is up to us, as pedagogical leaders, responsible for nurturing every child’s sense of belonging, being and becoming, to be conscious of and tackle racial prejudice in our settings.
 
Tackling racial prejudice requires intentional practice, awareness building and systemic changes. Below are our suggestions:

1. Every Educator should start with their own self, critical reflection around culture, attitudes to culture and what it means to them. Culturally intelligent and responsive practitioners critically reflect on their own views, biases and pedagogical practices that reflect knowledge of diverse perspectives. They regularly reflect on whether their biases, cultural views and values are imposed on other people’s children or their fellow Educators. They step back, reflect and are open to practicing and accepting new ways, as challenging as they may find them.

2. All Education & Care settings should implement mandatory Anti-Discrimination, Zero- Tolerance for Racism, Anti- Racist Policies and ongoing Professional Development.  Services should implement clear anti-racism policies that promote equity, diversity & inclusion and outline the consequences for discriminatory behaviour, along with proactive strategies for addressing racism when it occurs. All Educators should receive ongoing training on recognising and addressing conscious &  unconscious racism, microaggressions and discrimination, and how these manifest in the workplace. Professional Development should incorporate culturally responsive practices that    recognize and value the diversity of every Educator, child and family.

Effective Professional Development equips Educators with tools on identifying
discriminatory behaviours, promoting cultural sensitivity and responsiveness and creating an          inclusive learning environment, free of bias for children, their families & Educators.

3. Encouraging diversity in the hiring and recruitment process can lead to a more inclusive and    anti-bias work environment. Education & Care settings should actively seek Educators from            diverse cultural backgrounds, ensuring that diverse cultures and ethnicities are represented            amongst staff. Emphasising an appreciation of diversity, also benefits children, as they can learn
from Educators with a variety of perspectives & life experiences. Culturally diverse workplaces        can be treasure havens that everyone can learn from about diversity, inclusion, harmony,           
compromise and acceptance. They can be opportunities for embarking on a cultural
competence journey with potential for limitless learning, exchange, connection and
collaboration.

4. Education & Care Settings should cultivate culturally responsive & competent teams, by       
offering ongoing Professional Development and resources. Cultural inclusion & practices
should be embedded and become an inbuilt agenda item at team meetings – offering Educators
the opportunity to regularly reflect on current attitudes & practices. Educators should be
offered ongoing opportunities to learn about different cultures through Professional
Development, cultural programs, community involvement or cultural events. Understanding
diverse traditions, languages, and customs help facilitate cultural responsiveness. 

5. Encouraging open dialogue and creating an environment where Educators feel safe to discuss or report any bias or racist incident experienced. Management should actively encourage open
dialogue and provide avenues for Educators to raise concerns safely and promptly, and ensure
that these are addressed promptly & effectively. This not only fosters a supportive, culturally safe work environment but also allows for the implementation of necessary strategies to help
combat racism. 

6. Ongoing Leadership Accountability & Evaluation around the elimination of racism in the workplace. Services should regularly evaluate the effectiveness of their anti-bias and anti-
racism initiatives through surveys, assessments and feedback from Educators and families. This
will also help identify areas that require improvement. Services that combat racism well, have
leadership that is active and accountable for fostering inclusive and anti-racist environments,
that effectively role model anti-racist behaviours and work with their staff to eliminate bias if it
arises.

Inclusion and cultivating a respect for our diverse ways of being is not just for the children in our Education & Care settings, but this also applies to our Educators. Educators cannot teach inclusion if they do not authentically practice it.  Eliminating bias and racism in education and care settings requires ongoing commitment and action by leadership and every single practitioner. It requires intentional practice, self-reflection, awareness building and systemic changes. It involves professional development, policy changes, safe, open dialogue, and fostering an environment where cultural diversity is celebrated - and the whole Education & Care community feel valued, respected and supported in an equitable, inclusive environment that allows everyone to thrive.

Let’s be respectful of the diversity in our workplace and practice cultural sensitivity & responsiveness in our interactions with fellow Educators every day. Let’s be more conscious of any bias we may be projecting towards our fellow Educators and start thinking about how we can reset our thinking & actions.
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For Educators experiencing bias in the form of racial prejudice in their workplace – always remember that there is no place for racism in Education & Care. We hope you take the necessary steps to help filter out these inherent biases present in our workplaces, that contradict the key principles of inclusion and respect for diversity, that are highly valued by our sector and that we strongly advocates for and work tirelessly to instil in children.
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