Early Childhood Multicultural Education in Australia

Running head: EARLY CHILDHOOD MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION AND CARE
Early Childhood Multicultural Education
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Early Childhood Multicultural Education in Australia
Significance of the topic
Although early childhood multicultural education is the basis for nurturing children to
match the era of globalization, Australia has not given much attention to early childhood
multicultural education. Article 29 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child states that
the purpose of multicultural education for children should be to cultivate the parental identity
of children, their own cultural identity, language and values, and the country in which the
child resides (Schoorman, 2011). It also fosters children's understanding, tolerance , and
friendship between peoples from different religious and ethnic backgrounds (King, 2015).
With the globalization of the world economy, politics, and culture, any country and nation
will inevitably have to deal with people from different cultural backgrounds. The implication
of this is that Australia needs to strengthen communication and cooperation consciously.
Since multicultural education is essentially a process of recognizing cultural pluralism in
society, multicultural education during early childhood is indispensable for reaching the
world and the nations and nations (Bentley, 2012). Early childhood education as the
foundation stage of lifelong learning, early implementation of multicultural education has a
positive effect on helping young children to establish an open and diverse cultural outlook
and enhance international understanding (Ponciano & Shabazian, 2012). Through the
implementation of multicultural education, young children can realize that no nation in the
world can live. In his own national culture, he must live in the context of the world's
multiculturalism. Different ethnic groups need to conduct economic and trade and cultural
interactions, and the cultures of different ethnic groups need to be exchanged and updated.
According to the Education Committee of the 21st Century, the mission of multicultural
education is to educate students to understand the diversity of human beings. Early

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multicultural education should make children aware of the similarities and interdependence
of all people on the planet." (Australian Human Rights Commission 2015). However,
Australia has not yet achieved much as far as early childhood multicultural education is
concerned.
Importance to Early childhood Multicultural Education and Care
Australia must implement multicultural education during early childhood because it is
associated with many benefits. By adopting the multicultural education during early
childhood, the Australian government will be able to enrich children's historical and
geographical knowledge. It will also cultivate children's social skills and cultural skills to
help children understand the relationship between humans and society. By doing so, children
can be fully developed in terms of language, emotion, society, spirit, morality, and culture.
They will lay a solid foundation for a society in the future (Schoorman, 2011). The
multicultural education implemented in early childhood should be a kind of world cultural
enlightenment education. Through the implementation of multicultural education, it helps
children to recognize their culture and other cultures. It also helps them realize their national
customs and different national cultures can learn from each other (Hyland, 2010). Culture is
closely related to the development of human beings. The process of cultural evolution is a
process of consciously or unconsciously, actively or passively shaping people and promoting
human development (Souto-Manning & Mitchell, 2010). The essence of multicultural
education during childhood is to help children realize that they are not only nourished by
their own cultures, but also by other cultures. This is crucial even if this influence is
sometimes indirect and implicit. Through multicultural education, young children should be
able to stand on their own country and their own culture, and look at the diverse cultures of
other countries and other countries with an inclusive attitude and appreciation, and treat other

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states and national cultures amicably (Australian Human Rights Commission 2016).
Multicultural does not only to make young children aware of the rich diversity of the cultures
of countries and nations in the world but also to make them aware of this. The variety of
culture has essential value and significance for the continuation and development of culture
(King, 2015). Young children need to gradually realize that the diversity of lifestyles of
different countries and societies is a reasonable choice for people of these countries. They
also ought to adapt to the natural environment and social environment, and the inevitability of
their existence, and their accumulated experience and experience. Culture is a contribution to
the development of human society and the world (Ang, 2010).
Current government policies and frameworks
Australia's goal of children multicultural education in primary and secondary level is
to guide children to accept and evaluate each individual's uniqueness. It also serves to
increase children's understanding of human identity and gender. Additionally, it helps
children understand their own culture and other people's culture and cultivate children's own
culture (Australian Government 2011). Positive awareness and pride, sensitivity, and
recognition of other people's values, promotion of children's communication, self-control, and
independence.
However, a closer look at Australian early childhood multicultural policy shows that
the country lacks specific strategy for early childhood multicultural education. The existing
systems focus on primary school and secondary schools. This is a concern because early
childhood stage is the best stage for cultural development (Megan, Garth & Greg 2016)..
Australian educational framework
The diversity of the Australian population can be a paradigm of global population
movement. To face the trend of globalization and multiculturalism, Australia is actively