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INTRODUCTION
Multicultural Education is an idea which has reached its time. Carrying the legacy
of the 1960's and 1970's, a period of profound social change when the people of the
United States were forced to reexamine their cultural heritage, multicultural education
has emerged in the 1990's to address the educational needs of a society that continues to
struggle with the realization that it is not monocultural, but is an amalgamation of many
cultures.1
major aim is to create equal educational opportunities for students from diverse racial,
social- class, and cultural groups. Its goal is to help all students to acquire the knowledge,
skills, and attitudes needed to function well in a democratic society. It helps students to
interact and communicate with people from other groups. It facilitates the learners to
understand and appreciate cultural similarities and differences from other races.2
its one thousand one hundred seven islands, people within speak different dialects. There
are those who speak Tagalog, Ilocano, Ibanag, Ilonggo, Chavacano, but, all are called
Filipinos. Indeed, there is diversity in the Philippines in terms of its race, ethnicity, social
classroom with fifty students, several of which came from the Tagalog region, the
Ilocano region, and some from the Visayas and Mindanao regions. In this kind of class,
1
http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/multicultural/hanley.htm
2
www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/educatrs/presrvce/pe3lk1.htm
2
fusion of different races takes place. The rich diversity of today's society is clearly
With the diverse group of students, each one is given the opportunity to examine
their differences and similarities with other students, in terms of their culture and
traditions. They are able to understand the beliefs and customs in other provinces. And,
Thus, multiculturalism exists within the Philippine education system. The union
be socially active members of the society. It helps them gain greater understanding of
dedication to facilitating educational experiences in which all students reach their full
potential as learners and as socially aware and active beings, locally, nationally, and
globally. Multicultural education acknowledges that schools are essential to laying the
foundation for the transformation of society and the elimination of oppression and
injustice.3 It is said to value cultural pluralism. It affirms that major education institutions
One of its aims is not just to impart interesting facts, but also to equip students to
the challenges and concepts from established disciplines. It highlights injustice of all
3
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/initial.html
3
kinds - racial, gender, class, linguistic, ethnic, national, and environmental - in order to
experiences of people who have been left out of the curriculum," The purpose of which is
"to accommodate and respect the varied cultural origins of our diverse population"
(Eaton, 1997).
BODY
The population of the Philippines has been multicultural. The culture of the
Philippines reflects the complexity of the history of the Philippines through the blending
foreign influences. The Philippines is a mixed society, both singular and plural in form.
culturally. The nation is divided between Christians, Muslims, and other religio-ethno-
linguistic groups; between urban and rural people; between upland and lowland people;
and between the rich and the poor.5 Think of all the people from Luzon, Visayas and
Mindanao, and from different nations such as China, Europe, America who make up the
RACISM
The Philippines has various ethnic groups that identify themselves based on
several factors such as ancestry, language, or religion. In Mindanao, there are several
ethnic groups of similar ancestry, but whose religion is Islam, and whose culture is not as
4
http://www.socialstudies.com/c/@.3LoXXbbb5oFQ/Pages/multiculturalism.html
5
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_the_Philippines
4
“Westernized” on the surface as that of the Christian Filipinos. There are also various
tribal groups throughout the Philippine archipelago who are generally neither Muslim nor
Christian, and are least influenced by Islamic or western cultures. The Philippines is one
cannot deny the fact that discrimination and racism still survives in our society. Often do
we see people criticizing individuals especially from the minority/ indigenous groups.
Still, the minorities are being classified as of lesser value than those who grew in the
cities. The minority, such as the Aetas in Zambales, the indigenous Lumad, and the
Bangsamoro Muslims are often deprived of their basic human rights, especially the right
to education.
With the experiences of our fellow Filipinos, most minorities are being left
behind. They are seen as lower class citizens. When they enter schools, most of them are
being bullied and mocked by the majority of the students; some of them have to put up
with names being shouted at them. The indigenous people are also mocked when their
beliefs and traditions do not conform with the majority, for they are regarded as those
with a social or cultural identity distinct from the dominant or mainstream society. For
example, the Igorot food “etag”, which foreigners call Igorot ham, is seen as disgusting
by the people from the cities. And when they go to the cities, they are being looked upon
as if they have some kind of disease. Most of the time, they are being oppressed by the
people in power. When applying for a job, they are given the last priority. Employment
opportunities are limited to them even if they are qualified for higher positions. They are
obligations proves the opposite”. The minorities remain deprived and are socially
marginalized. Their contributions are not recognized. Thus, their humanity is being
dominated culture.
SOCIAL STATUS
The gap between rich and poor in the Philippines is widening, with the richest 10
percent of families raking in more than a third of the country’s total income. Education
has also become a part of the institutional mechanism that divides the rich and the poor.
The rich tend to discriminate the less fortunate. Like the minority, they too, experienced
being bullied in schools. Otherwise, they end up being the so called “assistants” of the
Discrimination also follows when only the rich few are capable of enrolling and
studying in well known exclusive schools. They are the only ones who could afford to
pay the high tuition fees of these schools, and enjoy a better quality of education. And,
studying in exclusive, high profile schools and universities includes the enjoyment of
However, the less fortunate students end up studying in schools where facilities
are inadequate, and resource materials are limited. They usually sit in a class of fifty to
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sixty students per classroom. Most of these students work at various establishments to
Inequality between the rich and the poor divides the population. The poor cannot
enjoy what the rich people are enjoying. The underprivileged cannot benefit from
studying in well known universities. And, when they mingle with well- off students, they
end up being unnoticed. According to Godofredo Roperos, “It seems the disparity in the
social and economic condition between our rich and poor is glaring. The gap in the lives
of our many poor and the very few rich is inequitably widening, instead of narrowing…
efforts to bridge the gap between the affluent few and the needy are withering under the
STEREOTYPES
revolve around a certain characteristic of the group of persons to which they are assigned.
The persons of that group may even be reduced to being known and understood through a
lens based on the stereotype that results from this, rather than being viewed as
the group to which he or she belongs. Stereotypes may represent people entirely in terms
A stereotype tends to judge a person by the way he looks not for who he is.
Sociologist Charles E. Hurst of the College of Wooster states that, “One reason for
stereotypes is the lack of personal, concrete familiarity that individuals have with persons
in other racial or ethnic groups. Lack of familiarity encourages the lumping together of
7
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotyping
7
unknown individuals”.8 Individuals have been different from one another. Persons have
gravitated to groups of other persons like themselves. People create and develop
Gender stereotyping also exists in schools. Mostly, the society has different
expectations from males and females. The society usually imposes what is expected of
men and women in the social structure. In the early years, the teachers instructed the male
students to do manly tasks such as carpentry and gardening. While the female students
were instructed to do cooking or home making activities. The men are perceived to be
tough, combative and rulers of the home. The women are expected to be caregivers,
nurturers and homemakers. "The usual stereotypical images are that boys are better at
technical subjects and girls are better at languages. Boys are naughty, girls are quiet.
Boys have better reasoning, while girls follow their emotions and intuition. There is no
doubt we experience those qualities in real life but the question is whether they are
8
Hurst, Charles E. Social Inequality: Forms, Causes, and Consequences. 6. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc, 2007
9
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/90714
8
CONCLUSION
Meeting and interacting with people from other cultures is an exciting experience.
The differences between cultures can be fascinating and can sometimes cause problems
people do not understand each other because of diversity in their beliefs, cultures and
traditions.
It is defined to increase the educational equity for all students. The Multicultural
make sense of the world. The discontinuity between the cultures of poor and
domination the learning of children of color and poor children is further hindered
contentious planet at the edge of the twenty-first century demands a people who
9
are critical thinkers and able to deal with the complexities of multicultural
differences.10
also encourage inter- cultural exchange and dialogue among peoples and make
programs. Indeed, the government must take upon itself to continue to mobilize
resources to basic education, and in the promotion and support of the minorities’
learning systems.
realistically and from a variety of perspectives. For example, teachers can have
students celebrate ethnic diversity through festivals. Studying each culture also
helps students in understanding their differences with other people. With these,
their social and cultural differences but not their differences in institutional and
children must be educated about the multiple strands of the past that have
created the webs of the present. Whatever our ethnicity is, we all need to study
and appreciate each culture similarities and differences, for we are all Filipinos.
The school curriculum needs to reflect our full history, including the
10
The Scope of Multicultural Education.mht
10
students can see themselves in history and students of all races can develop a
teaching and learning based on democratic values that foster cultural pluralism.
combat oppressive practices against the minority. Educators, activists, and others
must take a more active role in reexamining all educational practices and how
versions of the Cinderella fairy tale, students can compare the moral, ethical
dilemmas, story structure and standards of beauty in the said story. This
empowers the children to think critically about events and issues. It is necessary
for teachers to model positive attitudes and interactions with all children --
particularly those who might be alienated from the rest of the students. Then the
process to examine how prejudices and assumptions inform teaching and affect
life experiences. Thus, teachers will be effective in relating to the students the
by ending oppression within their own walls, then by producing socially and
children have preconceived notions about other children. These notions are
consistently address.11
They should embrace the community with warmth, understanding and curiosity.
contributing members of society both within their rich cultural boundaries and beyond
them.
11
http://www.highlightsteachers.com/archives/highlights_in_the_classroom/multicultural_education_an_overview.h
tml
12
deeply divided nation rather than to divide a highly cohesive one." Multicultural
education may bring problems to the surface, giving the appearance of creating conflict.
But if a school's entire staff and faculty are committed to working through that conflict,
Multicultural education strives for equity regardless of race, gender, culture, or national
origin. Students' lives are shaped by both school and society. So, in order to be
successful, multicultural education encompasses both the effort to create more equitable
schools and the involvement of teachers and students in the creation of a more equitable
society. As educator, Bill Bigelow (1993) states, "[students] are given the opportunity to
flex their utopian imaginations, and further, the opportunity to try to make their dreams
real."
to another tomorrow, inclusive of the wealth of all of our stories and peoples. It is
another aspect of the continuous human journey toward justice and pushes us
Multiculturalism ensures that all citizens can keep their identities, can
take pride in their ancestry and have a sense of belonging. Acceptance gives
citizens a feeling of security and self-confidence, making them more open to, and
13
12
http://www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/progs/multi/what-multi_e.cfm
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://www.highlightsteachers.com/archives/highlights_in_the_classroom/multicultural_e
ducation_an_overview.html
http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/multicultural/hanley.htm
www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/educatrs/presrvce/pe3lk1.htm
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/initial.html
http://www.socialstudies.com/c/@.3LoXXbbb5oFQ/Pages/multiculturalism.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_groups_of_the_Philippines
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotyping
http://www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/progs/multi/what-multi_e.cfm
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In the Subject
Philosophy of Education
Submitted To:
Submitted By:
Jennifer D. Roxas
Date Submitted: