Local Matters
I can resonate the
concept of “unpromising boys/promising girls” with my upbringing and culture in
India. During my childhood and adulthood, I always found people saying that girls can be good cooks and take care of the family and kids, but boys
can’t. This is just one social observation; there were so many others such as
girls can’t work in fields or drive tractors or heavy machinery, boys are more
suitable for the construction industry etc. Due to social norms, girls were not
allowed to play or be friends with boys when I was in India. There were
separate schools for girls and boys. In co-ed schools, boys are not allowed to
sit with girls or work with girls in groups. Teachers were also biased in terms
of the capability of learning. They believed that boys were careless and cannot
succeed academically because they did not ask questions frequently in the
classroom compared to girls.
During my education and experience in Canada, I am
glad to see no difference between boys and girls in society and the school
system. I am pleased to see the inclusivity in the classrooms. Teachers treat
students equally without any gender difference. When I heard a teacher says
“guys” to the whole class, I was confused at first because I thought that “guys”
can be used only for "boys", but I understood that there is no gender difference
in schools in Canada. During my B.Ed., I learned that providing a safe and
secure environment to all the students is the main priority in school, which
can be fulfilled by encouraging inclusivity. I knew that using phrases “boys”,
“girls”, “guys” will separate the LGBTQ group. So, during my practicum, I used
“folks”, “students” to encourage inclusivity in the classroom.
Yes, very interesting observations, and comparisons! The differences are striking -- Even though there are changes happening in India, it's slow, and occurring differently in different regions. To some extent that may be true in Canada too -- some regions may be more progressive than others -- But, Canada's laws and policies support inclusion, so even when there's push-back, teachers who are trying to facilitate inclusion are supported by policy. Depending on where you are teaching after you finish your BEd, you may find that your experience in both countries is a really wonderful strength, positioning you to be able help parents who were raised in different systems make sense of (and not be afraid of) the values of inclusiveness that their children are exposed to at school. The children typically seem to adjust and adapt quickly, but the change can be very confusing and overwhelming for the parents. Your understanding and empathy for the fact they are adjusting to a different approach may be very important to some families. It's a wonderful gift and strength you bring to your work.
ReplyDelete