.
Definitions.
There are many definitions of multi-cultural education. The one most used and most relevant, I believe to this topic and today's educational society is: "An education free of inherited biases, with freedom to explore other perspectives and cultures, inspired by the goal of making children sensitive to the purity of the ways of life, different modes of analyzing experiences and ideas, and ways of looking at history found throughout the world."(Gay, 25) This definition is the most descriptive one found because it mentions the goal of helping children to understand diversity and other children around them. Young children need to be exposed to the teachings about cultures other than their own. Many kids only know about their own cultures and it is important to their futures that they are educated about the other students around them. Children need to grow up in a world without having any prejudice towards others. .
Teaching which disregards diversity places students at a disadvantage by reducing their capacity to learn. An inclusive curriculum which acknowledges, respects and responds appropriately to student diversity, can contribute to: enhanced learning outcomes for a greater number of students justification of student experiences and world views developing international skills, cross-cultural perspectives, respect for different values and learning styles, and other skills useful in a diverse global environment (Marquez, 20).
Parental Effect.
From the day a child is born, they are raised into the cultures of their parents. A child is taught their native language and about their cultural beliefs. Different cultures eat different foods, have their own way of dressing and speaking, and possess many other different cultural aspects. Children grow up questioning and understanding many aspects of their background and many times aren't introduced to other cultures. It is up to a child's parents to be the first teachers of multi-cultural education.