Diversity in Education - Essay Example

John Dewey affirmed that education can only occur through the process of social consciousness. This is seen in almost all spheres of life. For instance, whenever we acquire different habits or whenever an individual's feelings have been awakened, then that is still part of education. Regardless of the level of strictness in any school environment, teachers cannot claim to deviate from this principle. All people are first educated through the unconscious state. The latter assertions can be carried forward to the issue of diversity in education.

Because all human beings regardless of their race, disability, gender etc go through this unconscious education, then one can assert that they deserve equal treatment if the same principle was to be applied to them. (Neil, 2005) Dewey also asserted that a child's social environment was particularly important in ascertaining whether that child was able to embrace true education. Again, this assertion can be related to the diverse classroom because a diverse classroom offers children the opportunity to deal with different demands from the ones that the child had been accustomed to thus giving them room for growth.

Children learn through the various demands that are placed upon them from members of the group. Consequently, if those demands are narrow or nonexistent, then a child's feelings and action will remain as they were. However, if those demands are much greater than that child had anticipated, then chances are that the child will come out of their narrowness of thought and will embrace their role as contributors to the overall wellness of the group. Therefore, a child will be able to learn what is appropriate or not through the actions of others when they are responding to the former's deeds or words.

For instance, when children are learning a certain language, they rely on the reactions which they get from the people around then in relation to certain actions. For example, whenever a certain activity solicits a certain response, then that child will place the meaning in context. (Neil, 2005)The latter principles also apply to diversity in education. In essence, diverse classrooms represent society as it is. Compared to conventional classrooms, diverse classes are much closer to Dewey's ideas.

This is because they allow children to learn from one another especially in terms of those who may be different from them.According to the latter philosopher, education is imparted through two aspectsPsychological aspectsSocial aspectsThe first aspect is more important than the second because of the fact that it incorporates the issue of a child's instincts. The latter characteristic is usually the starting point in any learning process. If education is conducted independently from the child's activities, then it can only be regarded as a form of external pressure.

If a child has no opportunity to show initiative, then they may simply solve the problems assigned to them by their educators but no meaningful education will have taken place. This is because such educators have not bothered to make an insight into the psychological goings on of the child. When a teacher's approaches happen to fall in line with a child's ideas, then chances are that that child will learn. However, if those approaches contradict a child's psychology, then it will create conflict within the child's mind thus impeding