In today’s ever-changing society and political atmosphere, diversity is at the forefront of everybody’s thoughts. Students are being exposed to it both in positive and negative ways. In a country that has always celebrated diversity, how do we prepare the coming generation to celebrate it with equal fervour? Starting conversations about the significance of diversity in the classroom will give students numerous advantages.
Student growth
This is most likely the greatest advantage of having diversity in the classroom. When students find out about different cultures and perspectives along with their different experiences, they tend to develop an empathetic nature. During such situations, they are bound to ask themselves multiple questions that could lead to self-awareness. At the point when legitimate, open-ended conversations about diversity happen inside the study hall, educators can encourage discussion to help advance growth in every understudy.
Increases awareness
Being aware of an issue isn’t enough; there is a need for empathetic realisation. When an “issue” is associated with names and faces of individuals, awareness transforms to compassion and a genuine need to comprehend another perspective. Giving students the chance to find out about battles or adverse encounters pertaining to race or culture will help them understand progressively about a different set of people. Simultaneously, schools that focus on the significance of diversity and permit students to see another point of view will encourage them to acknowledge that there is an enormous world past their little study hall, and they will have the option to identify with individuals who are not the same as them.
New perspectives
When diversity is present and spoken about, it brings forward many new points of view that, for the most part, prompts progressively. When an individual has a deferential discussion with someone else who has a different perspective, their minds are regularly opened to new thoughts and new musings. When students can confront circumstances by considering different viewpoints, they will encounter self-improvement and another method to move forward in this globalised world.
Preparation for workplace
Despite the diversity in a school or a town, students can be confident that they will encounter the same in the work environment. When employed, regardless of whether they work for an SME or a Fortune 500 organisation, they should connect with those from various foundations — both racially and socially — regularly. In the scope of a business, prejudice is unsatisfactory, and every worker of each organisation is relied upon to carry on suitably and act maturely in all circumstances, including those where one deals with diverse individuals. Having discussions about diversity will help students when they enter the working environment, as they will be understanding and receptive about the differences in individuals.
The writer is Director, Asia Pacific World School, Bengaluru
