Beyond Basket Weaving: Multicultural Education and Whole-School Reform.

Overview & Synopsis

This paper outlines the various limitations of several multicultural education initiatives and explores the conditions necessary for making multicultural education actually work. The conditions examined include the centrality of first language maintenance and the reconstituting of curriculum, pedagogy, evaluation, and organization at the school level. In addition, the paper discusses the controversy of multiculturalism versus antiracist education and assimilation. The multicultural educational program initiated at the Richmond Road School in Auckland, New Zealand is offered as an example of what can be achieved when multicultural education is combined with a critically conceived approach to whole-school reform. Reasons for its success are examined, focusing on the facts that: (1) the various school structures necessary to establishing an effective approach to multicultural education have been developed over many years; (2) the change process has involved staff cooperatively and collaboratively; (3) a high degree of theoretical literacy in multiculturalism was developed among teachers; and (4) a conversancy with theory resulted in an approach to multicultural education that was considered workable for staff and served the interests of all concerned. It is concluded that the structural changes implemented at Richmond Road demonstrate that multicultural education can be effectively reconceived in order to make a difference for minority children. (Contains 54 references.) (GLR)