Assignment 1- 102086

Mobeen Afzal
17472005
2011 words
Critically analyse how intersections of race, ethnicity and class might impact upon a
student’s educational aspirations and life chances. Reflect on how your own intercultural
understandings might influence your teaching practice.

With regard to race, ethnicity and class the educational system aims to provide a safe, equal,
supportive and abuse free learning environment for all students. However, students are
experiencing an increase in discrimination based on their race, ethnicity or socio-economic
status (SES). In this essay I will argue that the education system is failing to provide students
with higher equity and quality of education. During a student’s educational journey from
primary school to the completion of high school, it is a crucial stage at which they develop
and form an identity. When they are deprived of their educational needs, it will cause a
decrease in their prospect of educational and life accomplishments, ultimately leading to
weakened democracy, increase unemployment rates and a decrease in global competitiveness
(Forrest, Lean & Dunn, 2016; Connors & McMorrow, 2015; Shim, 2012). To highlight and
explain these matters I will be using different theories including the critical, Marxism, social
reproduction and social capital theory’s. Using these theory’s, I will discuss how class,
ethnicity and race influence a student’s succession in their education and life.

The Gonski Review (2011, p.149) defines equity as “ensuring that differences in educational
outcomes are not the result of difference in wealth, income, power or possessions”. Equity
aims to provide students with sufficient and essential education irrespective of the school
they attend or where they live. Equity differs from equality, as equality aims to provide all
students with the same opportunities regardless of their situation but doesn’t consider that
every student will not have the same outcomes as they experience different circumstances
(Teese & Walstab, 2011). When students are given the correct support and helpful schooling
environment, every student will accomplish pronounced academic success. Thus the
government needs to identify students who are disadvantaged and support them sufficiently
so they can lead constructive and prosperous lives.

However currently the education system is failing students and not providing equity to
students who come from different and diverse backgrounds. Research has shown that
students who are from low SES backgrounds and from particular races or ethnicities are
falling behind in their educational achievements (Caldwell & Spinks, 2007; Worthington,
2010; James, Bexley, Anderson, Devlin, Garnett, Marginson & Maxwell, 2008; Forrest, Lean
& Dunn, 2016). The gap between student achievements is exponentially increasing based on
their background and circumstances.

Extensive research has shown that the gap between students who are receiving a lower
education quality are approximately 2 years behind students with educational superiority
(Teese & Walstab, 2011). This inequity occurs mainly in students who are socio
economically under privileged or are categorized in a particular race or ethnic group.
According to Considine & Zappala (2002) there is an interlinking connection between SES,
race and ethnicity. Students who are categorized in a particular race or ethnic group. for
example, Indigenous Australians, Middle Eastern Australians or Chinese Australians, are less
likely to develop their learning skills.
Minority groups who are first generation immigrants remain in their ethnic communities,
helping them to transition more easily. Furthermore, they may be less educated due to the
circumstances they escaped such as war or famine, leading them to be categorized in lower
SES backgrounds. Similarly, Indigenous Australians also face educational discrimination
causing them to stay within their indigenous enclaves and SES backgrounds leading to low
school attainment and retention.
Considering that students lack home resources and financial support for the inception of their
educational learning, it will cause an unstimulating environment ceasing the student’s
cognitive development. When students start school at lower performing SES schools they
will attain lower academic achievement than their peers who are from higher SES schools or
different backgrounds (Rosthman, 2003). The Gonski Review (2011, p. xiii) further supports
this claim by stating that “Australia has a significant gap between its highest and lowest
performing students”. This gap has caused Australia to come behind many Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and development countries (OECD) in terms of equity and quality of
education (Connors & McMorrow, 2015).

Cultural biases are dominant in our current educational system consciously or unconsciously.
Individuals who belong to the Indigenous Australian communities are one of the many
minority groups suffering. During their educational journey individuals may see the power
imbalance in the classroom, causing them to experience communication barriers. Bird (2011)
explains that white privilege is a cultural bias that is disregarded in today’s society. For
example, the finding people and heritage represented in the curriculum can only speak for a
particular race and disregards the natives. This is predominantly illustrated in Australia’s
history as students are not taught that Australia was invaded but rather discovered.
This may impact students with different ethnicities, races or socio economic backgrounds.
The stigma against particular ethnic group due to world events can cause them to become
more marginalised. These cultural biases against people from particular ethnic, race or socio
economic background can be understood by using a number of different theories. Conflict
theory’s such as marxism, critical theories and social reproduction support the disadvantages
students will experience due to their classification in particular groups.

Ideally, the education system aims to provide equal prospects to all students but does not
succeed in doing so. Conflict theories identify the education system to function as the social
reproduction of inequity and maintain power to the individuals who dominate society.
Specifically, social reproduction is particularly dominant in our society and helps us to
understand how this acts as a barrier for minority groups. For instance, the goals of western
society are enforced on indigenous education, leading them to abandon their own culture and
epistemologies (Pidgeon, 2008). The marginalisation of minority groups will continue the
pattern of social reproduction of inequity from one generation to the next.
Furthermore, low SES backgrounds is a dominant discourse which is prevalent in todays
education system in the form of state and private schooling. Lamb, Rumberger, Jesson &
Teese, (2004) highlights that public schools are under-performing, especially in low SES
suburbs, when compared to private schools. Students who are “underprivileged” may not
have similar schooling then “privileged” students. There may be a difference in school
environment, lack of equity, teachers and other resources. This results in an increasing
educational gap which is associated to unemployment and the possibility of living in poverty.
If students are not provided with the essential assistance they will have poor post-school
outcomes. However, students from higher SES backgrounds (private schools) are more likely
to succeed in the educational journey.

Shim (2012, p. 214) further argues that dominant discourse and education are linked through
“particular knowledge, linguistic behaviour, modes of though and expression, cultural
standards, and curricular that reflect dominant social structures (i.e. cultural capital) are
privileged and valued”. However, the opposite of these values are invalidated by individuals
in power and influence. Using the critical theory, we can further highlight that individuals
with no cultural capital are demoted out of the power medium. Students may never even
strive to enter the power structure because of their circumstances in their schools. A lack of
equity may prevent them from bridging the gap between their higher achieving peers.

Research has shown that neoliberalism has permeated to the dominant discourses in
education (Hartley, 2008; Biesta, 2009). Teachers and schools have become suppliers of
commodity education as parents/guardians are perceived as costumers and economic
resources. Promoting schools as profit centres and as measurable outcomes such as results in
NAPLAN, further supporting the neoliberal ideologies. Additionally, the push toward private
education has increased as parents from high SES have a “parental choice” as they are able to
afford high fees for private schooling. Segregation between low and high SES students will
increase causing academic and social discrimination between private and public schools. This
drift will eventually cause private schools to only accept high academic achievers to compete
against other schools.
Ho (2011) highlights the emergence of ‘white flight’ from public schools away from other
ethnic, race and SES communities. This drift between communities and schools will cause
the loss of social cohesion, social capital and have damaging effects on education outcomes.
One of the programs the government has introduced is the My School website where not only
assessment results are provided but also the cultural diversity levels in schools. Cultural
division between schools can clearly be identified as the elite Anglo-Australians have
abandoned public schools for higher achieving private schools.

Current policies support private schools with funding from the Australian government and
state supplementary funding. While the Government schools receive similar funding, they do
not receive the high tuition fees that private schools receive from parents. This causes a
discrepancy between schools due to the funding from the Australian government to private
schools. This builds on the social reproduction theory, Marxism and critical theory, as
individuals from low SES backgrounds, ethnic groups or race will continue in the cycle of
low cultural capital. The development of schools from their current situation is highly
unlikely as policies are creating two types of schools: one for the poor and another for the
rich. Thus some private schools are able to accumulate recipients of high cultural capital
while public schools accumulate students from poor educated backgrounds. The Gonski
Review further supports this argument that having educational systems that work well for
some families and not for others will negatively affect students lives and future opportunities.
Multiculturalism is a large part of our current education system and society. Australians are
having a positive attitude and skills to overcome cultural differences. When the policies
mentioned above become imbedded in our schooling systems we will not able to respect or
appreciate different cultures (Shim, 2012). If this trend of segregation continues we may see
conflict in the near future due to differences in race, ethnicity and SES. Barr (2008, p.4)
argues the “need to nurture an appreciation of and respect for social, cultural and religious
diversity” to allow the development of Australian education system. In my own previous
experience in a public school in a low socio-economic suburb, I lacked the attention and
resources that higher achieving schools provided to their students. Thus my transition to a
high performing university was difficult, while other students were more prepared due to
their backgrounds. Educators need to contest to the dominant discourses in our education
system by incorporating equity across schools, introduce new practices and ideas. So when
students leave school they are able to adjust positively in today’s society in either
employment or further education.

Considering my own intercultural understandings, I feel the need for equity is especially
important for a student’s educational achievements. As mentioned previously my experience
has not been great during my educational journey, but this may project positively on my
teaching practices. I will strive to provide more support for my students because of the
dominant discourse I encountered due to my ethnicity, race or SES. However, teachers who
have not been challenged with these circumstances may fail to understand what the students
require. Thus the education system needs to provide support for teacher education and
professional development. The education system needs to understand that every teacher has
imbedded theories which influence their teaching practices. So we need to enhance their
preparation for teaching diverse students who require distinctive support.

In conclusion, I think we need to first understand how the social injustices for individuals
who belong to a specific ethnic, race or SES background effect their life achievements. We
need to act immediately before the segregation between these groups widens. During my
research journey on this question I was able to discover the discrepancies in our education
system. We need to understand that our children will lead Australia in the future and if they
are not supplied with the correct resources they may never advance. The Australian
government needs to recognize and solve the inconsistencies present in our education system
today, to accommodate to the disadvantaged. The dominant discourses present in todays
society are outdated and schools provide a platform for equality for all race, ethnicities and
SES. So the education system needs to strive to build these gaps for an increase in
educational and life achievements of students.
References

Barr, A., Gillard, J., Firth, V., Scrymgour, M., Welford, R., Lomax-Smith, J., ... & Constable,
E. (2008). Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians. Ministerial
Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs. PO Box 202 Carlton South
Victoria, 3053, Australia.

Biesta, G. (2009). Good education in an age of measurement: On the need to reconnect with
the question of purpose in education. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability
(formerly: Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education), 21(1), 33-46.

Bird, M. V. (2011). Exposing Cultural Bias in the Classroom: Self-Evaluation as a Catalyst

Caldwell, B. J., & Spinks, J. (2007). Raising the stakes: From improvement to transformation
in the reform of schools. Routledge.

Connors, L., & McMorrow, J. (2015). Imperatives in Schools Funding: Equity, sustainability
and achievement

Considine, G., & Zappalà, G. (2002). Factors influencing the educational performance of
students from disadvantaged backgrounds. COMPETING VISIONS, 91.

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, & Gonski, D. M.

Forrest, J., Lean, G., & Dunn, K. (2016). Challenging racism through schools: teacher
attitudes to cultural diversity and multicultural education in Sydney, Australia. Race Ethnicity
and Education, 19(3), 618-638.

Hartley, D. (2008). Education, markets and the pedagogy of personalisation. British Journal
of Educational Studies, 56(4), 365-381.
James, R., Bexley, E., Anderson, A., Devlin, M., Garnett, R., Marginson, S., & Maxwell, L.
(2008). Participation and equity: A review of the participation in higher education of people
from low socioeconomic backgrounds and Indigenous people (Doctoral dissertation,
University of Melbourne. Centre for the Study of Higher Education).

Lamb, S., Rumberger, R. W., Jesson, D., & Teese, R. (2004). School performance in
Australia: Results from analyses of school effectiveness (Report for the Victorian Department
of Premier and Cabinet). Melbourne, Centre for Post-compulsory Education and Lifelong
Learning, University of Melbourne.

Pidgeon, M. (2008). Pushing against the margins: Indigenous theorizing of “success” and
retention in higher education. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory &
Practice, 10(3), 339-360.

Rothman, S. (2003). The changing influence of socioeconomic status on student

Shim, J. M. (2012). Pierre Bourdieu and intercultural education: it is not just about lack of
knowledge about others. Intercultural Education, 23(3), 209-220.

Teese, R., & Walstab, A. (2011). From opportunity to outcomes. The changing role of public
schooling in Australia and national funding arrangements. Centre for Research on Education
Systems.

Worthington, K. L. (2010). An Investigation of Early Literacy Outcomes by Socio-Economic