‘Despite our best intentions, too often our efforts to make our teaching more diverse can risk becoming tokenistic. We frequently lack the time to make substantial changes to our existing curriculum, we lack clarity from policy to guide us, we lack the finance to properly resource such changes or train staff, and we often lack public and media support for making necessary changes. These combined factors can lead to short-term solutions that feel safe but lack depth, leading to a makeshift approach that can curtail the extent of change we might want to and need to make.’

(https://my.chartered.college/impact_article/beyond-the-tick-box-diversity-in-the-curriculum/ )

 Diversity in the curriculum matters because it gives students a mirror to see their own lives and a window to understand the experiences of others. It builds empathy, improves learning engagement, and prepares young people for a fair and connected global society.

 Benefits for students

‘The phrase ‘windows and mirrors’ was coined by Dr Rudine Sims Bishop (1990) to refer to the importance of literature reflecting pupil’s identities while also expanding the student’s understanding of the world….Bishop(1990) argued that when children cannot see themselves within the content, they learn an important lesson about how devalued they are in society. Conversely, when children see themselves reflected, through aspects of their identity or shared experiences, this can foster a sense of belonging, and provide self-affirmation and self-actualisation.’

 (https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/windows-and-mirrors-why-curriculum-representation-matters-for-children-known-to-social-care)

 Benefits for society

Below are a few suggestions of how you could develop diversity in your school curriculum, it is, by far, not an exhaustive list and there are many blogs, articles and information around to access to assist.

 This blog was written by Bretta Townend-Jowitt, Education Consultant and Trainer.