Diversity in the classroom

In my opinion, children who are raised in inherently diverse environments will naturally develop as socially aware citizens. Racism is not a genetic (or epigenetic) by-product. It is a factor of nurturing. If children are raised in a society comprised of a diverse citizenry, assuming the society does not overtly subordinate particular groups based on race or ethnicity, they will not be likely to think with racist undertones or perpetuate racist norms. On the other hand, when children are raised in a culturally, ethnically or racially homogenous environment, it is difficult to instill social tolerance and awareness in children. If children do not have the opportunity to experience firsthand customs and cultures that are not characteristic of their own family, they need secondhand accounts which should be provided by their educational institution. However, due to the monopoly in textbook creation and publishing that muffles the majority of American history and focuses on the history of the white race in our country, the basis of curricula in the United States does not favor diversity. This reality among is one of the many reasons that teachers are so critical in education. The teacher has the power and should assume the responsibility to educate children in areas that are underrepresented in textbooks. Of course, this can only be expected if they teacher herself/himself is not racist (beyond the norm). It is key that children learn about society and its history from diverse points of view. Ignorance can be surprisingly dangerous as children who are raised without a vast knowledge of diversity can easily adopt racist perspectives at their first exposure to discriminatory environments. However, if children are educated equally in the histories of all cultures, they will not be likely to grant superiority to certain groups and second class statuses to others. Equal education will lead to equal treatment. Because teachers are so important in education, it is clear that lapses in our education system can be attributed in part to our lack of qualified teachers, especially in under-resourced schools. The profession of teaching in our country needs to be given more value so more qualifications are required for teaching and so that teachers even in under-resourced schools can be given sufficient salaries to remain in their positions.