Racism in Australian Schools - Essay Example

Racism in Australian Schools Name Institution Introduction Racism reigns in a society where persons view one race to be superior to another through virtue of economic merits or express accomplishments they have completed. In such a situation, one race may intimidate another by making them to feel inferior and consequently lead to tumble their aggregate output by the victims of racism. In the currently globalisation era people live in today, barriers such as travel and communication that had previously hindered the interaction of distinct races have been broken to bring into being a society that has to contend and appreciate the dynamism that the world around them has to offer. It is quite evident, countries or regions that have welcomed the issue of diversity into their society seem to be more developed both economically and general advancement (Arber, 2009). This paper pays attention to the general impact of racism in Australian schools and the ways in which it can be curbed. As racism is mostly perpetuated towards the minority, the paper strives to elucidate on the plight of indigenous Australians who face racism at school. Racism is very prevalent in Australian schools, and as such, this paper aims at articulating the adversities that result from it and puts forward tentative solutions to the vice. Impact of Racism on Indigenous Australian in Schools The general impact of racism in schools has overall detrimental effects on the victims, the perpetrators, and the education system as a whole. This takes many forms, and to completely look at the effects, one has to disjoint the points above and look at individual effects. This section looks at the general influence of the vice on the Australian indigenous child at school. It is estimated that 75% of all indigenous children have faced racism in their life particularly at school (Paradies, 2005). what are the outcomes of these actions? Plunged Performance One and the most common consequent of racism against the Aboriginals in school is that it adversely affects their performance in school. One of the key reasons why racists perpetuate these actions is because they revel in making others (victims) feel more inferior in most ways. Taking the scenario of a school setting, the racist particularly aim at making other races (mostly Aboriginals) to feel more intellectually inferior (Paradies, 2005). The end result is that some victims amidst the harsh environment around them may somewhat come to accept a lie. Their performance in class may decline. To add to this, and considering that there are a vast array of attributes than one learns in school other than education. Students acquire other crucial element in school such as communication, patience, courage, and ways to solve conflicts. A student that is pushed down under racism influence is less likely to acquire these traits that may prove very imperative in the rest of an individual’s life. This means that a simple or commonly shunned issue of racism in schools has adverse outcomes even after decades after been perpetuated. Low Esteem The Aboriginals form the minority of the aggregate Australian population including those in schools. As 75% of all Aboriginals students in schools have endured racism, the adverse upshots of exposure to the vice causes low esteem. It may seem like a negligible upshot but its consequents are really detrimental. To make matters worse, in the present world we live in where people easily interact with one another, ones person’s flaw has an impact in numerous people’s lives. The defective is mostly passed to close person in victim’s life (Paradies, 2005). Economics In this era of economic competition, racism in a country is the last thing any economist striving to prop prosperity in the global market need hear. The participation in the global market today encompasses numerous cultures and hence does not need any form of racism. In fact, any form of racism is detrimental to the image of an economy as most other trade partners may perceive that they are not welcome since they are of a different race or culture (Oei & Raylu, 2009). For instance, the Australian government spends a huge amount of money to showcase the country as a destination for foreign students to acquire an education, however, racist attacks over the last decade or so against persons of Indian descent have largely crippled the foreign education industry. Of course, the industry is still strong today, but not as strong as it would have been if the attacks would not have happened (Arber, 2009). To add to this, the problem runs in a cycle. The crippling of the education sector is most likely to lower level of education provided in the country, and hence the country may lack the ample level of workforce capable of confronting the harsh and competitive global market (Arber, 2009). As such, the economy of the country will be adversely affected in an indirect way, all pointing to the issue of racism. Ways to Combat Racism in Schools Having articulated the adverse outcomes that are brought into being by the vice; it is only wise to look at ways in which it can be curbed. This is the section that the paper focuses more on as there is a general awareness of the detriments that ensue as a result of racism, but very few people concentrate on elucidating the ways that can be done to curb it. This section pays attention to some tentative solutions for the vice. Propping Empathy The majority of people who perpetuate racism have little knowledge of the outcomes that result from it. In short, they lack the knowledge that would entirely wipe the vice of the school system. In fact, most people who practice racism do not mean to ruin, or wreck the victim’s ego or even their lives, they seek the thrill of having power over an entity and the minority in the society are mostly a favourable target as they possess no power to retaliate (Fethi, 2011). It is commonly suggested that the best way of eradicating racism in schools is by providing educational empathy in the same schools. Take it this way, the perpetrators get informed on the detriments of the vice and they realise that their actions need to be revised. Raising Awareness Educating students about detriments of racism is imperative, but those that perpetuate this vice have other people in their lives that put the strings in a way that they instil some of the racism attributes in them. For instance, the media is guilty of portraying some of its “heroes” as tough and having influence over their peers. What most people do not realise is that most school going students and children would also want to gain these attributes. It is very rare for them to depict the main characters as very focused on education, passes their examinations, considers the feelings of others, and the culmination of all this actions is a better life than those in a society that lack these traits. As a result, no child wants to have these admirable traits and on the contrary seek power and domain over their peers by making them feel inferior, which at most times for Aboriginals, comes as racism (Oei & Raylu, 2009). The media is not entirely to blame; the immediate people in a child’s/student’s environment play a major role in shaping the conduct of a student or a child. As not all children perpetuate racism, the acquisition of these traits is s linkable to the environment that a child is provided with. It is particularly engages the parents and guardians of the children to curb the vice. All in all, imparting knowledge to these people (those within a child’s environment) is imperative in ensuring that the vice is eased on. This is achieved through providing them with information of the adverse effects that arise as a result of racism and what bit particularly they can play in ensuring that the children in their remit do not acquire or propagate racist deeds (Oei & Raylu, 2009). Increasing Student’s Accountability Most people that propagate racism despite its overall detrimental effects walk scot free. This means that a person suffers under racism and may most likely have a defect for the rest of their lives but the perpetrator gains for all that by feeling more powerful and confident after pushing the victim down (Lucas, 2010). This is one of the detriments of the vice. The goal is to enforce accountability for any fault done by an individual. For instance, schools should conceive a system where any form of racism is reported and the propagator is severed punished for their wrong doing. This will discourage others from doing the same mistake and the propagator will learn that what they did was wrong. It is also vital to provide help for the victims bounce back from the trauma they might have undergone (Lucas, 2010). Promoting Positive Social Norms The government has relative control of the social culture in the country. As such, it can somewhat manipulate this social culture so as to result to desirable outcomes. With regards to racism, the government should target the citizens by bringing the notion of Australia being a multicultural nation through means such as the media. As for the school scenario, the government through its potency in the education sector should enlighten students/children on the need to appreciate others. It can articulate the benefits that are ripped from a multicultural community as compared to that of a single culture and what stands to be lost. Without this, most children who can be considered as ignorant in this day and age of globalisation will persistently drag any progress that can be made by the country inline with global standards (Paradies, 2005). Breaking Barriers between Groups Although globalisation has lead to the integration of distinct group/races, some people may still not appreciate this fact. Maybe because they perceive their individual races as more superior or view diversity as detrimental rather than strength to acquire vast knowledge about the secrets the hideous world they live in keep from sight (Fethi, 2011). How then do stakeholders such as the schools and the government break the barriers evident between disparate groups? The key may lie in trying to integrate multicultural societies and mindsets to the general population. As it stands today, Aboriginals tend to live more upcountry as compared to Anglo-White residents. This, in fact, is commonly used as a racism citation towards the Aboriginal children by their peers at school. It is intricate to precisely articulate what and how the integration should be carried out but it is possible taking into account that it has happened before in the United States when children of colour and white descents were integrated in the same school by law. Although there was an outrage then, looking at the currently state of dynamism and appreciation for other races by most Americans as compared to Australia, it is rightful to conclude that the Australian government should take action and integrate its people in the best ways it deems fit (Fethi, 2011). Legislative and Policy reforms It might seem way out to propose that legal action to be taken against children who might not be even aware of the consequences of their actions. That, in fact, might be the key is curbing the vice. Most students are afraid of not completing their homework more than they are of propagating racism in their educational facilities. This is down to one reason, they are held accountable for not completing their homework, but most are not for propagating racism in the same way as the homework (Fethi, 2011). This is a contrast of what should be done, both at the school level and also at the national judicial level. After all, why would one wreck another person’s life and walk scot free? Students, no matter their age, should be held accountable for their actions. In this way, they are bound to learn that what they do affect others and legal action taken against some of the students is most likely going to restrain others from doing the same. Nonetheless, the punishment for these actions should be lenient and geared towards checking the spread of the vice as most propagators do not have knowledge of the consequential upshots of their actions (Fethi, 2011). Conclusion Racism is very prevalent in Australian schools particularly against indigenous Australians. This has been in existence for as long as the education system has been in existence, however, there are numerous undertakings aimed at curbing the vice. There are numerous detriments that are witnessed in a society that practises racism and it adversely afflicts the victims, propagators, as well as the society. That said, in the bid to check the vice and hence evade these detriments, tentative steps that plummet the influence of racism should be taken. This paper conveys some of the possible steps and how to best execute them. In conclusion, the question of whether Australia has racism has a very concise answer, YES! It gets from bad to better though, the endeavours been taken by the government and other stakeholders are most likely to bear fruits and end racism. The school setting is a great locale to raise awareness and hence fight racism in Australia (Affairs, 2010). References Affairs, D. o. (2010). Racism. No Way: A Guide for Australian Schools (pp 22-35). Canberra: Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. Arber, R. (2009). Race, Ethnicity and Education in Globalised Times (pp 84-89). Melbourne: Springer. Fethi Mansouri, M. L. (2011). Migration, Citizenship and Intercultural Relations:Looking Through the Lens of Social Inclusion (pp 117-126). Surrey: Ashgate Publishing Limited. Lucas Walsh, R. B. (2010). Racism in Australian Schools (pp 1-11). Centre for Strategic Education. Oei, T., & Raylu, N. (2009). The Relationship Between Cultural Variables and Gambling Behavior Among Chinese Residing in Australia. Journal of Gambling Studies, 25(4), 433-452. Paradies, Y. (2005). Anti-Racism and Indigenous Australians. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 5(1), 1-28. Read More