Polytechnic University of the Philippines

College of Arts and Letters

Mabini Campus, Sta. Mesa Manila

CONFRONT INEQUITY AND

ASSUMPTIONS
Prepared by: Irish B. Seria

Course/Year and Section:

ABE 4-3

Professor: Xavier Aquino Velasco

CONFRONT INEQUITY AND
ASSUMPTIONS
 What can you do
To
Identify
and Address
Inequity in the classroom?
 Equality and Equity do
not mean the same thing

Equity, as we have seen, involves trying to understand and

give people what they need to enjoy full, healthy
lives. Equality, in contrast, aims to ensure that everyone gets
the same things in order to enjoy full, healthy lives. Like
equity, equality aims to promote fairness and justice, but it
can only work if everyone starts from the same place and
needs the same things.
HOW TO ADDRESS INEQUITIES?

1. Understand existing inequities.

2. Recognize impacts to the students learning
achievements.
3. Acknowledge and address effects of main stream
institutions, policies and pedagogies on students.
 REASONS
OF INEQUITIES
Pics of diversity
Dominant cultures
Mainstream teachers
Classroom practices
 EXAMPLE

Why Is My Country Red? An Aha Moment Many years ago, I had an exchange with a student in class that gave me pause to
think about how we label and categorize others without ever challenging such assumptions. I taught in a semirural high school
with few visible minority students.When asked if I would accept an exchange student from Jamaica into my Grade 11 social
studies class, I was pleased to do so. The English-speaking girl was an able, personable student, though she seldom volunteered a
comment. We were studying global issues and I was pointing out various places on a Canadian International Development
Agency (CIDA) map, colour coded to indicate three levels of economic development in the world. Canada, the United States,
Europe and Australia were purple and labelled developed countries; the countries at the next level of development were
represented by red and labelled developing countries. As I pointed this out, the Jamaican girls hand shot up. Why is Jamaica in
red? Its not a developing country, she announced. I was at a loss for words. Many thoughts raced through my mind, mainly
those that would deny her declaration. I really didnt have an answer for her that day, but I did begin to think about what the
map presented and represented to students.Why were economic indicators the only criteria used to distinguish the
development of countries? What message did the students get when this map remained in class with its unchallenged coding
system? How would I respond when challenged in future? Most important, I wondered how new or non-Canadians viewed our
depictions of them. How could I challenge myths and misconceptions in my classroom and avoid overgeneralizing? Barb
Maheu retired teacher and ATA executive staff officer, Professional Development
 DEVELOP MUTUALLY TRUSTING AND RESPECTFUL
RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR STUDENTS.

1. Consider whether you treat groups differently based on

stereotypical assumptions.
 DEVELOP MUTUALLY TRUSTING AND RESPECTFUL
RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR STUDENTS.

2. Be conscious of your physical presence

 DETERMINE HOW POWER AND PRIVILEGE
FUNCTION IN YOUR SCHOOL AND IN YOUR
CLASSROOM.

1.Ask teachers to put a checkmark beside the

name of each child with whom they had a
positive interaction within the previous
month.
2. Provide leadership opportunities for all
students.
 DETERMINE HOW POWER AND PRIVILEGE
FUNCTION IN YOUR SCHOOL AND IN YOUR
CLASSROOM.

3. Affirm contributions of
cultural minorities.
 BE AWARE OF OBVIOUS AND HIDDEN MANIFESTATIONS OF
CULTURE.

1. Avoid the rhetoric of shame and 2. Avoid power struggles with

blame students over cultural issues.
RECOGNIZE THAT STUDENTS ARE EQUAL AS HUMAN
BEINGS, BUT NOT EQUAL IN THEIR NEEDS.

1. Reject the myth of color 2. Acknowledge students

blindness different needs.
 RECOGNIZE THAT STUDENTS ARE EQUAL AS HUMAN
BEINGS, BUT NOT EQUAL IN THEIR NEEDS.

3. Follow up classroom discussions by 4. Welcome, value and understand alternative

reading stories about resiliency, especially viewpoints on controversial issues related to
those involving marginalized students. diversity.
 RECOGNIZE THAT STUDENTS ARE EQUAL AS
HUMAN BEINGS, BUT NOT EQUAL IN THEIR NEEDS.

5. Avoid excessive highlighting of 6. Dont assume that a student from a

difference minority culture or other non-
mainstream background speaks for his
or her entire cultural group.