Multicultural education no longer has a place in Canadian K-12 school curricula.

What is it about?

This chapter begins by outlining the promise of the Government of Canada to maintain, promote, and suppport the languages and cultures of all Canadians through a federal policy of multiculturalism adopted in 1971. Fifty years later, there is ample evidence to show that the government has failed to uphold multicultural policy in education. Rather than embracing and promoting the languages and cultures of all Canadians, the government removed support for non-official languages, minimized support for cultural activities, and promoted programming to combat racism, prejudice, and discrimination. Predictably, the removal of support for multiculturalism at the federal level brought sweeping changes at the provincial level. References to multiculturalism in school curricula have been replaced with terms such as diversity education, diverse worldviews, and anti-racist education.

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Photo by Andre Furtado on Unsplash

Photo by Andre Furtado on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Multicultural education in schools offered tangible strategies for supporting the languages, cultures, and family history of local, indigenous, and newcomer Canadians. To remain true to the vision of multiculturalism, the main tenets must be restored. One pathway proposed in the chapter is the adoption of an approach known as culturally responsive teaching, which views the diverse cultures of students as an asset, not a barrier, to classroom learning and academic success. By taking action to renew multicultural education through culturally responsive teaching, students can once again take pride in their family heritage in Canada, and use their language repertoire and rich cultural identity to support academic learning.