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Education EssayThe foundation of either state is the education of its youth- Unknown Schools have been used as an avenue to encourage complaisant control from many centuries ago whether it was for the betterment of our forefathers or to moreover control them. They reinforce and transform young minds with the tools necessary to abide in this changing world and thus, prepargon them for global independence.As a result, education has operate critical since our system has been built upon the c erstpt of the enlightened citizen, that is, an idiosyncratic in touch with its cultural heritage who possess a working knowledge of the factors that pee up the gracious ecosystem an individual who understand the law, remediates and responsibilities, possess the attitudes of honorable play and co-operation and quality in the character and work of self and separatewises. (Hartoonian, 1985) The instrument in manikining an enlightened citizen and thus prepare future leaders, is the c urriculum.Hence, the curriculum ought to be tailored to produce citizens who recognize themselves as Trinbagonians and not individuals who read themselves as distant citizens of Africa, India or England. In this regard, leaders in politics, classroom, education, as well as businesses, should see themselves as leaders of Trinbagonians and not as tribal representatives. If we encourage constant talks of ethnic imbalance, then we will work out race a defining issue of being a Trinbagonian Did our forefathers make race a defining issue when they fought for freedom and liberation from colonialism?Dr. Eric Williams and Dr. Rudranath Capildeo both petiti unriv bothedd for full internal self-rule for all the peoples regardless of race, religion and ethnicity. Unfortunately, politicians today are prepared to clearly pass the blame of ethnicity and cultural imbalances from star party to another, earlier than come up with solutions on how to deal with the issue at hand. Isnt it part of th eir civic duty to govern the country without encouraging citizens to be subjected to any form of discrimination or inequality?Rather than pass the blame, all citizens, including our leaders should work towards obtaining a cohesive society atomic number 53 which has mothered satisfactory ways of make do with ethnic and cultural diversity and other strains in an open and democratic room. This means taking action to reduce inequalities and restore equity so that these distinct divisions remain manageable and do not grow so as to threaten the stability of society (The European Committee for Social Cohesion). As a result, domesticates send word foster the development of students cultural identity via citizenship education.Citizenship education evolves cohesion richness because the curriculum encourages, listens to and acts on student voice focuses on authentic issues that are actionable and a curriculum that is learner led supports the importance of playing an active part in dem ocracy and develops skills of enquiry and communication. Therefore, school activities should encourage multiculturalism instead than ethnocentrism because ethnocentrism is viewed as lacking acceptance of cultural diversity and intolerance for outgroups (Berry Kalin, 1995).By exploring ones history and sharing cultural traditions, beliefs and values, students can become to a greater extent tolerant of diversity. As schools provide a safe and positive environment for all students regardless of their diversity, they also get on a sense of cohesiveness in the familiarity. Trinidad and Tobago is referred sometimes as a pluralistic society because of its diversity in cultures, ethnicity and religion. From an early age of globalization, representatives from metropolitan governments, entrepreneurs, farmers, and workers arrived to this land in search of economic benefits for their homelands.As trade became insufficiently profitable, the Africans and eastbound Indians were brought to th is land as slaves and indentured labourers, respectively. The fact that these different groups came from different geographical origins and under different circumstances, arose a multitude of social and ethnic differences to which the colonializers used as a game to divide and rule. The majority of our ancestors were African and East Indian descendants and so could have been considered as brevity in that they were either forced or tricked into being here.As such, they rallied together to fight for freedom and liberation and thus, out of Independence and Republicism, a nation was born. We acquired our symbols of nationhood and bad towards protecting and promoting our democracy. According to Dr. Eric Williams, democracy means recognition of the rights of others equality of opportunity for all in education, in the public service, and in private employment freedom of worship for all and the subordination of right of any race to the overriding right of the human race.Although we were a democratic nation, the effects of colonialism were still clearly permeating in our government system, our education system and even in our social lifestyles. However, the cultural traits of the Spanish, English and French were incorporated with the African and other immigrants cultures to form one distinct culture, creolization a combination of customs, cuisine, language and traditions that have marked the sociocultural development of this nation but, our leaders once again are to blame for the lack of promoting this cultural identity.According to sociologists, children learn what they live. Through the evolution of technology like better and cheaper communication, faster trade from all over the world and all the other commodities that the internet provides, our children are exposed to new cultures and thus, is being reinforced into the thinking of everything foreign is better. As a result, our Caribbean lifestyles have changed drastically for example, preferences of eating habits , dress, music and other social activities which have led to poor nutrition and communicable diseases and so too, our cultural identity.Are our children exposed to their culture on a regular tush? Are programmes sharing our national heritage, our local music, our dance and traditions, readily available? How are our young ones going to become aware of their true identity if in that respect are few opportunities for them to experience it? How do we develop and foster our cultural identity? To begin with, most of the inhabitants of Trinidad and Tobago are citizens by birth so, legally, they are Trinbagonians.As children begin to develop a sense of identity as individuals and as members of groups from their earliest interactions with others, one of the most basic types of identity is ethnic identity, which entails an awareness of ones membership in a social group that has a common culture (Trumbull et al. , 2001). An identity is important for peoples sense of self and how they relate to others.For our citizens to feel a sense of commitment to the land they were born and thus promote a cohesive society, citizenship education can be an potent tool because it improves students attitude and loyalty towards their country as well as critical thinking skills which are crucial for social and economic transformation (Howe, G. D. Marshall, D. D. , UNESCO 1999). It helps them become informed, thoughtful and responsible citizens who are aware of their rights and responsibilities (UNESCO, 2003). Schools are seen as the best avenue to foster the development of ones identity. They are a main(a) agent of socialization.It is here children develop trust, independence, the tendency to take initiative, the sense of competence and ambition, decisions about who one is, build relationships with others, make decisions about future generations and reflections on ones life in keeping with Eriksons stages of development. The Ministry of Education of Trinidad and Tobago has adopted a p hilosophy based on the beliefs that every child has an inherent right to an education regardless their cultural background and that every child has the ability to learn and should be provided for his/her holistic development.Secondly, that the ethical and moral concerns are central to human development and survival and thirdly, fundamental constructs such as decency, justice, respect, kindness, equality, love, honesty, and sensitivity, are major determinants of the survival of our multicultural society (Ministry Of Education Policy Paper, 1993 2003) thus, reinforcing citizenship and multiculturalism. Therefore, school activities should encourage multiculturalism rather than ethnocentrism because ethnocentrism is viewed as lacking acceptance of cultural diversity and intolerance for outgroups (Berry Kalin, 1995).Multicultural education was developed to promote structural equity and cultural pluralism. It is an opportunity because a society that learns to live with diversity is like ly to achieve faster rates of economic growth and social development- if only by avoiding ethnic conflict (Smith, A. ). Educators moldiness understand how factors of diversity can assist in enhancing learning and development of the children in their classroom because all schools have classrooms that comprises of students from multicultural backgrounds.According to Bronfenbrenners ecological Systems Theory, the development of a child is influenced by his interrelations with the multiple environmental contexts in which he lives and grows. This can play a part in shaping their cultural background as well as affect their behaviour and academic performance. As a result, educators behavioural instructions and differentiated techniques, appropriate teaching materials and fitting support and partnership among the schools community should be effectively organized to meet the learning needs and abilities of very student and thus make their educational experiences the best possible. Schools can implement citizenship education in their curriculum and provide real life experiences to teach students how to exercise their rights and responsibilities. Provide programmes that seek to develop good character through honesty, integrity, self-discipline and hard work. Allow them to participate in activities that will allow them to resolve conflicts nonviolently, use their talents wisely, participate in community-building activities, and build respect for themselves and others.Students can also participate in programmes that focus on how government and other institutions work and the importance of planning. They are encouraged to critically take and understand the interplay of social, economic and political forces in order to improve society. Identify and discuss citizens who have significantly contributed to their society and also encourage students to participate in activities to represent their school.A teachers job is to provide an effective learning environment for their st udents. As such, creating an environment by promoting diversity through the medallion in the classroom can create a sense of belonging and prevent discrimination. Posters used should offer different cultural perspectives and include people of different ages and races. Literature and other resources should carefully be selected so as to foster diversity and be relevant to students needs.Teachers should also set an example by make positive remarks, respect all students feelings and encourage students to be respectful to one another. In addition, using differentiated instructions to cater to the needs of all learners can promote inclusion. Planning teaching/learning instructions to be more constructive so as to drive students in active learning experiences and make learning meaningful and enjoyable can also promote multiculturalism in the classroom.One way is through the use of technology because in my class, students eagerly engage in learning when ICT is used. Another is the use o f personnel (student/parents) to share cultural experiences, for example, the Hindus can share their experiences in celebrating Divali with the class for example, I teacher at a Roman Catholic school and there was a time when the Hindu parents organized a programme for the school to sanitize them on the festival. Students and teachers were invited to wear East Indian gabs and tudents were taught the names of familiar things in Hindi. It was an enjoyable experience for most of us. By encouraging other students to share their cultural beliefs and practices, students become aware of their differences as well as similarities and thus become more appreciative and tolerant. From a Vygotskian perspectivea major role of schooling is to create social contexts for the triumph of and conscious awareness in the use ofcultural tools (Trumbull et al. 2001).Celebrating students achievements can motivate and foster their self-esteem. As such, schools should promote achievement day and open-day so parents can see their children work and progress made in school. This also deepens the relationship between the school and parents because in educating a child, it takes cooperation and involvement from educators, parents, families, and the community. As research has shown, the greater the family and community involvement in schools, the greater the students achievement (Niemiec, R. Sikorski, M. , Walberg, 1999) will be. Educators must also ensure that the measures used to assess students performance and progress is fair and just and caters for every learners ability. Through the use of performance assessments and continuous assessments like projects and journals, students are able to reflect on their work and make improvements and thus, take vote out of their learning. Leaders must be able to represent the needs of all whenever they hold any position of authority.The proper management of activities in a school is the responsibility of individual principals as curriculum leaders i n their school. Therefore, he/she must manage their school in a fair and democratic manner so as to ensure social justice and equity and make students, teachers and parents comfortable and safe. When citizens understand their democratic rights, they will be able to act in government fairly and responsibly. They will demonstrate true patriotism and loyalty as they show belief in the people that they serve.As our country continues to debunk great diversity, the need for understanding and accepting the differences among all people has never been more important (Gomez, Rey A. , 1991). Through education, children can learn to accept others, become prone to the idea that there are many lifestyles, languages, cultures, and points of view and develop a sense of being citizens of a nation. Additionally, education for social cohesion is possible once it is practiced in schools both in the classrooms and at the managerial and organizational level, and projected on the surrounding communities .Teachers must consider childrens cultural identities and be aware of their own biases. It is tempting to deny our prejudices and claim that we find all children equally appealing. Teachers and parents need to acknowledge the fact that we, like our children, are inevitably influenced by the stereotypes and one-sided view of society that exists in our schools and the media. Not only must we recognize those biases, but we must change the attitude they represent by accepting all children as we receive them (Gomez, Rey A. 1991). Thus, when our children grow up and hold any position of authority, they will act in a more responsible manner and promote democracy. It was through the exposure of all the cultures from our forefathers, whether they were imposed on them or freely practiced, a unique culture was formed. We have learnt to live together rather than merely side- by- side. (Laughlin, N. ) For that reason, we should work more on appreciating this culture and assisting our fellow Ca ribbean brothers and sisters in building one region.