Introduction
Social exclusion refers to a condition in which people cannot engage effectively in commercial, interpersonal, governmental, and cultural activities and the mechanism that results in and sustains this condition. Social inequality exists when different social ranks or classifications within a group or community have unequal chances and advantages (Groeger, 2021). According to De-Los-Santos-Menéndez (2020), educational equality refers to a situation where educational establishments cannot deprive students’ materials or possibilities solely based on their color, sexuality, ethnicity, or faith. Involvement may be harmed when individuals lack tangible resources, such as earnings, occupation, property, and accommodation, or lack access to necessary education and medical services. This paper aims at discussing how ethnic minorities in Australia are socially excluded in schools. Additionally, the report provides various remedies that would enhance the inclusion of these minority groups to ensure equity in schools for the minority groups.
Some of how ethnic minorities are socially excluded in school settings within Australia include isolation and neglect within the classroom and peer group rejection. However, the following remedies could be undertaken to reduce exclusion in school and promote equitable opportunities for all learners regardless of their ethnic backgrounds. First, encouraging diversity and inclusion among diverse cultures and newly arrived students would promote inclusivity. Minority ethnic learners reclaim their cultural understanding and have the all-too-rare chance to participate in their valued classroom expertise, gaining motivation and commitment in the process. Moreover, physical Education is critical for encouraging fair play and mutual understanding due to the social components of physical activity. The subject’s instruction shall lead to pupils experiencing joy, excitement, and a sense of empowerment through physical activity and interaction with others.
Forms of Social Exclusion and Inclusion of Ethnic Minority Groups in Schools
Ethnic minority groups in Australia encounter various forms of social exclusion within their school environments. First, they are socially isolated and neglected within their classroom and the school atmosphere. Learning environments, where students and adolescents devote most of their time, present an opportunity to access educational network components (Raabe, 2019). Capabilities and parental context increasingly segregate classrooms, either due to institutional racism or, in some regions, due to a monitored school curriculum (Raabe, 2019). As a result, they continue to be a key surrounding for affiliating with others who share similar life circumstances but have a conceivably diverse ethnic or sociodemographic history.
Thus, while classrooms can assist as a gateway to significant social network capacity, social isolation may obstruct these resources. Social isolation in the classroom can significantly impair accessibility to learning resources, compromising educational progress and economic accomplishment in the long run (Raabe, 2019). Therefore, this is especially true for populations that are already susceptible, such as immigrant families. Immigrant families usually lack core competencies about the schooling system, the etiquette, attitudes, and cultural codes that permeate at school, and access to networks of assistance and encouragement that encourage motivation and achievement (Raabe, 2019). If minority group students are encouraged to develop a support network and facilities within the school environment, these drawbacks can be mitigated.
Lastly, ethnic minority groups undergo peer group rejection within their learning environments. Peer group rejection happens when the overwhelming of a student’s peers harbor negative attitudes about them (Plenty & Jonsson, 2017). Thus, peer rejection is characterized by intra-group responses, more precisely, by counterparts’ hatred for specific members of their peer group. Current manifestations of peer victimization, like their roots, are characterized by group members’ emotions toward ethnic minority students but differ from prior interpretations in that they include both favorable and unfavorable thoughts (Plenty & Jonsson, 2017). While the pressure to conform is a universal human necessity that transcends national boundaries, it has been discovered that social recognition is more critical for teenagers’ well-being than they are for adults or toddlers (Plenty & Jonsson, 2017). While previous studies have indicated the detrimental impacts of mental health on academic performance, there can also be significant peer isolation consequences and avoidance of educational excellence (Plenty & Jonsson, 2017). Peer isolation and rejection reduce the likelihood of gaining knowledge from peers, doing coursework collectively or seeking academic assistance from peers.
However, embracing social inclusion activities would limit isolation to help reduce exclusionary behaviors and practices towards ethnic minority groups. Social equality of opportunity is described as the procedure of enhancing options, availability of resources, representation, and consideration for rights for those who are underprivileged in the community (Littlewood & Herkommer, 2017). The marginalized groups are excluded due to their age, sexuality, impairment, ethnicity, racial background, faith, or financial status (Littlewood & Herkommer, 2017). Thus, social inclusion is a methodology and an end goal (Littlewood & Herkommer, 2017). The present paper argues that increasing inclusivity entails addressing social inequality by removing impediments to people’s engagement in society and through proactive inclusionary measures that support such engagement. As a political answer to the exclusionary dilemma, inclusivity is thus a more continuous procedure of accepting and supporting all individuals and embracing more equality and fairness (Littlewood & Herkommer, 2017). It should be highlighted that promoting social equity may or may not lead to a rise in humanity’s ability to coexist peacefully.
Social inclusion in educational settings within Australia can be enhanced through the following means as discussed. In progressively multicultural and globally connected communities, interpersonal interactions such as participation and cooperation in mixed groups are critical. However, Flintoff (2018) indicates that racial, cultural, and socioeconomic status factors form boundaries of exclusionary and inclusionary within peer neighborhoods in Australian schools. PE is critical for fostering an inclusionary and non-discriminatory landscape. Nonetheless, domestic and international research has indicated that some learners receive isolation and stigmatization due to their sexual identity, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, faith, socioeconomic status, and ability due to PE activities and dominant discourses (Flintoff, 2018). Physical Education occurs when all learners engage in an exercise in unison, with subject matter premeditated by instructors and aid by apprentices and components. Incorporating ethnically disadvantaged students into PE classes entails rethinking the teaching and learning procedures to provide all learners with equal exploration opportunities (Flintoff, 2018). Thus, the importance of involvement in PE in terms of instructing for difference, integration, and acknowledgment of multiple combinations of the human race.
Additionally, cultural diversity within schools increases inclusivity levels of ethnic minorities among their peers and classmates. Peers’ interaction with classmates who are unlike them and the innovative ideas and difficulties that such experience provides results in better cognitive abilities, including reasoning and problem-solving (Graham, 2018). Students with favorable relationships with diverse racial origins develop more receptive minds and engage in more stimulating group discussions. Accelerated learning happens in these settings due to the significant connection of complex notions to actual illustrations drawn from various situations (Graham, 2018). The adverse consequences of limited racial variety also affect students of nonminority communities, most prominently the perpetuation of unconscious bias towards learners of minority ethnic groups, which impedes their educational process (Graham, 2018). Proactive efforts to improve learning diversity can considerably mitigate the negative impacts of unconscious bias.
Further Discussion of Social Exclusion Practices against Ethnic Minority Groups in Australian Schools
As discussed earlier, ethnic minority learners in Australia experience various isolation practices within their school environments. This part examines how the marginalized groups are excluded in their educational settings and compares them with other groups to gain a deeper insight into the exclusionary practice. Ethnic minority learners are socially alienated and marginalized in their instructional environment. While classes can serve as a portal to large social networks, social exclusion can hinder access to these resources. In the long run, alienation in school can considerably restrict access to learning materials, jeopardizing educational development and economic achievement.
Additionally, within their academic settings, minority ethnic groups face peer group discrimination. When most of a pupil’s peers have opposing opinions, this is referred to as peer group repudiation. Thus, peer denial is defined by intra-group behaviors, more explicitly, by peers’ hostility toward specific classmates. Current representations of peer rejection, like its origins, are defined by team members’ sentiments against ethnic minority pupils but vary from statement shows in that they provide both positive and negative views. Peer exclusion and disapproval reduce the frequency of learning from colleagues, collaborating on schoolwork, or requesting academic aid from classmates.
The two kinds of social exclusion against marginalized ethnic groups within their learning institution may not occur to their nonminority counterparts due to the suggested reason as discussed. Most minority groups in Australia are immigrants and have a low socioeconomic status compared to their nonminority peers. Therefore, isolation in classes hinders them from accessing essential learning resources, negatively affecting their academic performance. Conflict theorists’ perception of education supports this assertion. Contrary to what conflict constructivists suggest, learning institutions do not alleviate existing inequalities (Dixson & Rousseau Anderson, 2018). Rather than that, they argue that education promotes and sustains societal inequities based on wealth, sexuality, race, and culture. The completion of a learner’s education is inextricably tied to one’s socioeconomic status (Dixson & Rousseau Anderson, 2018. Students from poor backgrounds are typically denied the same privileges as students from wealthier backgrounds, regardless of educational proficiency or willingness to learn (Dixson & Rousseau Anderson, 2018. Numerous students from marginalized groups struggle with household chores, financial contributions to the family, inadequate study conditions, and a lack of family assistance.
Actions for the Exclusion Practices
Children’s social inequality and the educational role greatly benefit society, both morally and in terms of the long-term influence on social progress and security. Learning institutions have been regarded as crucial in minimizing social exclusion susceptibility by setting the groundwork for economic empowerment and fostering kids’ sense of self-efficacy, personality, and belonging. Education develops the platform for social involvement, and taking classes is a critical collaborative process in and of itself. However, research into classroom instruction has found that schools can sometimes serve as facilitators of exclusion. At a comprehensive structural level, marginalization in learning can occur due to structural reasons. Students from relatively impoverished areas are more likely to wind up in inferior schools and are more likely to drop out. Therefore, all education stakeholders, the government, teachers, and parents should have a duty to ensure that social equity is established in schools for the effectiveness of the ethnic minority students. The following are ways the various educational players can help mitigate the effects of the discussed ways of social exclusion of ethnic minorities.
In promoting social inclusivity by reducing the isolation of students in their classrooms, instructors who are capable of adapting and strengthening their performance in an inclusive context must be adequately guided and trained. The aftermath is that it will guarantee an inclusive setting, thus fostering excellent teaching. Therefore, teacher education in Australia needs to increase pre-service teachers’ ability to teach across various instructional skills. Numerous Australian studies reveal that while pre-service professionals usually appreciate inclusion, a lack of skill and practice means that several new educators struggle to teach in inclusive settings in high schools (Boyle & Anderson, 2020). Ongoing professional development opportunities for in-service instructors are also critical, as effective pedagogical practices that incorporate a variety of modes of instruction assist all learners (Boyle & Anderson, 2020). Additionally, the Australian government could cut the overall cost of education to enable education accessible to all regardless of one’s socioeconomic background. As stated in the paper, most marginalized students come from poor backgrounds, and the current cost of education in Australia is higher past making it unaffordable to their parents.
On the other hand, mitigating the effects of peer rejection and exclusion, the Australian curriculum must incorporate Physical Education (PE) in schools. Changes to physical education programs represent a good balance of various perspectives with one overarching theme: physical education programs must become more equitable. PE activities are critical, unique, and essential, and they contribute significantly to education programs in dimensions that other activities cannot. PE provides alternative classroom environments and chances for individuals who may stumble in a class environment to display skills distinct from subject knowledge and are not available in other functional areas.
PE instructional techniques can influence student identity, involvement, accomplishment, and competence expectations. Pedagogical approaches are intricate and cover interactions between instructors and students, curriculum substance, and the information created. Teachers must consider how they teach syllabus, the nature of interactions, learning outcomes, and knowledge disseminated. As a result, inclusive methodologies that allow for student diversity in physical education entail more than classroom instruction, activities, and imparting knowledge. When PE instructional strategies do not consider learners’ inclinations and cultural understandings when structuring standard school learning techniques and materials, learners may suffer exclusion and fall short of their PE capabilities.
Conclusion
Globalization has increased the opportunity for many nations’ educational systems to interact with a diversified foreign population. This movement has resulted in a rise in research activities to resolve various instances of injustice, marginalization, and prejudice worldwide. The school setting is distinct from other social environments in that the bulk of students’ acquaintances are classmates. The school setting has created social exclusion of ethnic minority groups, such as isolation and neglect in their classrooms and rejection from peers. These two forms of exclusions have had a detrimental effect on the academic performance of these groups of students. For instance, isolation in classrooms inhibits their access to learning resources crucial for studying, thus negatively impacting their class performance.
Peer exclusion and disapproval decrease the probability of learning from peers, cooperating on assignments, or soliciting academic guidance from peers. Inclusivity initiatives undertaken by various stakeholders within the education sector would help limit the social exclusion of ethnic minority groups on their academics and social development. Incorporating PE into schools’ curriculum would enhance the participation of all students despite their diverse ethnic backgrounds, thus boosting their identities, engagement, accomplishments, and aspirations of proficiency. Moreover, reducing the overall cost of education by governments would ensure that education is affordable and accessible to all the diverse ethnic groups within its boundaries. Therefore, more research should be conducted on social exclusion across all dimensions to ensure that no learner is isolated based on gender, race, ethnic background, and religion.
References
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