Schools must address diversity: expert says

Diversity should be addressed in schools to ensure students’ academic and social skill development outcomes, renowned belonging and intercultural strategist Dr Derrick Gay told participants of an event celebrating the 30th anniversary of the International School Association of Thailand on Saturday.

Though diversity is a good thing to ensure equity, inclusion and belonging in society, he noted that many of us are confused about what diversity really means and interpret it in different ways.

“In many schools, people believe that diversity is only about LGBTQ+ and don’t think about all the other backgrounds,” Gay said.

Diversity among students also means physical appearance, academic ability, hobbies and ways of thinking. In addition, international schools have diversity in terms of nationality, language, culture and geopolitical situations.

Gay explained that Western teachers might tell parents their child has been struggling with their assignments, and recommend academic support at home. In such cases, parents tend to say thanks for letting them know and promise to do their best to support the child. However, they might be unsure how to address this teacher's feedback and do not feel comfortable about asking for clarification.

He added that some parents believe that keeping their reputation is very important, so they might avoid showing emotions or engage in conversations that may become embarrassing.

Gay stressed that the sense of belonging is important to boost students’ motivation, engagement and efforts in schools, resulting in better academic and social skill development outcomes.

Students may have different feelings about their teacher, and are not comfortable while working in set groups, he explained, adding that social media has contributed to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and constant exposure to curious idealised lifestyles.

“We should speak about differences to children. We should celebrate our differences despite claiming that people are better or worse because of those differences,” he said.

Gay advised schools to address diversity issues as follows:

• Deepen intercultural competency and inclusive leadership skills in schools
• Ground efforts in dignity and respect in belonging and academic excellence
• Acknowledge the harm that is taking place in schools and engage it in restorative practices
• Foster empathy as a mechanism to deepen belonging.

“We must instil in our students that they are worthy. That is important because we talk about resilience,” he said, “If you do not have resilience or acknowledge your own self-worth, you may make unhealthy choices.”