Description of the Problem

Discrimination refers to unjust treatment in relation to different categories of the people on the basis of age, sex or that of race. Discrimination is indicative of the differential treatment meted out to people that occurs without any kind of reasonable justification. Children along with adults are the victim of discrimination at that of different level but discrimination that occurs against the children can be said to be more severe as the children in the society have less amount of social power (Charactercounts.org., 2018). The children have to face discrimination because they are dependent on the adults. Discrimination takes place within the framework of school setting when one children is given preference over that of another children. This report elaborates on the problematic occurrence of discrimination of the children in the schools and identification of subjects in relation to discrimination. The report discuses about the factors that helps in perpetuating mechanisms that paves the path for discrimination of the children within the framework of the school environment. The report also talks about the tools and the programs that can help in preventing the incidence of child discrimination. It discusses about the objectives of the tools and about the effectiveness of the tools within the ambit of the school setting.

The children are often the victims of discrimination at the school owing to the perception that exists among the people that there exist some race that are stringer as compared to the other races. The discrimination that is perpetrated on the children makes them feel weak and they lose their self-esteem. The discrimination also takes place owing to gender bias and it is held that there exist a sex that is weak that makes them discriminated against within the framework of the school. The ‘weaker sex’ has to bear the brunt of the discrimination and it is carried out by children against that of children (Dupper & Meyer-Adams, 2002).  The teachers at the school also take recourse to the discriminatory practices that harm the morale of the children at the school. The children spend a large amount of time at the school where they learn fundamental in relation to the aspect of socialization. The environment that occurs at the school helps the children in learning regarding differences and about co-existence (Houlette et al., 2004). The school is meant to be a safe place that can help the children in learning. The practising of discrimination that takes place at school make the children feel neglected and it makes children feel that they are an integral part of the society.

The power relationship that exists between the teacher and the student in the school leads the way for the incidence of discrimination at the school. Power in the educational context represents struggle in between the individuals who are unequally positioned at the school. Transactional process in the educational journey of the students helps in the creation of culture of that of silence that helps in permeation of the aspect of child discrimination at the schools. The unequal power relationships has an effect on the voices of the students in many ways. Relationships helps in reducing honesty in relation to the opinions of the students that makes the students say what the teacher wants to hear (Jackson & Smith, 2016).  This causes many children to be discriminated against in the schools. The personality structure also plays an important role in causing the discrimination of the children in the school. The teachers find it difficult to understand procedures that can actively include that of the perspectives of the children. It can hence be stated that the personality structure causes the incidence of discrimination against the children in the school. The teachers are not aware of the oppressive micro-process which the students experience when they are voicing their views in the classroom (McGregor, 1993).

Identification of Subjects

The factors that perpetuate the discrimination of the children are social inequality along with racial discrimination. The social inequalities exist in relation to income and housing that gives rise to discrimination of the children in the ambit of school setting. These mechanism has an effect on that of child health outcome that causes mental repurcussions on the children at the school. The children of colour are treated in an unfair manner in the school that hampers the mental development of the children. Racial discrimination can occur at personal level and it also occurs at the institutional level (Neisser, 2014).  The mechanism through which discrimination occurs is the family and the environment of the children. The teacher not being able to deal with different kinds of cultural backgrounds can make way for the discrimination of the children in the school. It has been found that the parents of the children are busy with their work and they cannot devote sufficient amount of time for their children. It acts as a mechanism that helps in permeating the discrimination of the children within the school. It can also be said the teachers are also the victims of discrimination in their family that make them practice discrimination within framework of the school (Poteat & Espelage, 2007).  Bad economic situation acts as a mechanism that causes the discrimination of the children in the schools.

Group affiliation along with self-evaluation can help in preventing the incidence of child discrimination at the schools. Multicultural education can be provided to the children from that of an early age that can help them in understanding the similarity that exists between the different groups. Multicultural education revolves around explicitly teaching regarding the history along with culture in relation to the specific groups that can help in reducing discrimination of the children within school (Thibaut, 2017).   The teachers at the school should be encouraged to change the teaching strategy that can help in reducing discrimination within that of the school setting. The teachers should be able to detect the students who can face discrimination and make them have positive images that can prove to be of great use in bringing down child discrimination in the schools. It can help in eliminating the aspect of negative stereotypes that can augment of the academic performance of the students at the school.  Role playing can also act as an important tool that can be instrumental in reducing child discrimination in the schools (Whitley & Kite, 2016).  Conflict mediation approach can also be practised in the school that can help in the fostering of that of intergroup dialogue. Role playing can help in bringing levity to the aspect of conflict resolution. The students can be placed within the opposing roles that can help them in looking at actions from that of a different point of view. Intergroup contact can act as a significant intervention that can help in bringing down the discrimination that the children face in the schools (Whitted & Dupper, 2005).  It can help in reducing the aspect of prejudice in the schools that can help the children belonging to various kinds of ethnic groups in coming together.

Etiology

The “contact theory” of Allport can be used in bringing together people from different kinds of ethnicities. There should be the provision of weekly meetings for the staff at the school that can help in discussion of the social differences that exist at the school.

Diversity training courses can help in the aspect of re-educating the staff members and the professional help from anti-discrimination institutions can be taken recourse to that can help in reducing the impact of discrimination on the children of the schools (Williams, 2015).  It would be able to help the teachers in supporting the diverse learning needs of the students within the classroom.

The administration of the school should give orders that all the children at the school should be treated in the equal manner irrespective of their race along with cultural origins.

Peer projects that can involve role playing can help in mitigation of the element of discrimination that occurs at the schools. In the project the teacher can adopt children that can help in encouraging the feeling of acceptance (Yee & Brown, 1992).  The staffs can be engaged by taking recourse to this method and it can help them in knowing regarding the thoughts along with feelings of the students.

The targets subjects of the intervention programs along with tools would be the teachers along with the children in the school. The programs would be able to help the teachers in becoming aware about the kinds of discrimination that can take place in the school. It can help them in growing aware about the prevailing methods that help in permeating the aspect of discrimination in the schools. The other kinds of targeted subjects would be the students of the school who would be able to understand the implicit manner in which the discrimination may be spread across the school. The children would be able to know about the different kinds of discrimination- direct, indirect, harassment along with victimisation. The children would be able to know how other people are being favoured that can help them in gaining knowledge in relation to the subject of discrimination that occurs at the schools. They would be able to voice out in the event of being faced with discriminatory practices at the school.

The objectives of the intervention programs and the tools would be to make the conditions in the school favourable that can help in nurturing the aspect of equality in the schools. The objectives would be to:

• Reduce implicit bias of the teachers
• Providing equal opportunities in relation to education
• Challenging inequality that exist in the classrooms

The place of the intervention programs can be the schools that can prove to be convenient for both the teachers along with the students of the school. The time of the programs can be after the regular class hours that can suit the interests of both the teachers and the students. The students do not have to be accompanied to another place in the event of the program being the school (Whitted & Dupper, 2005). They would easily be able to take part in the intervention programs and gain more knowledge about the tools that can help them in becoming conscious about the incidence of child discrimination at the school.

The effectiveness of the programs can be gauged with the help of interview of the individual students of the school that can help in revealing important information regarding whether the students have been able to understand the different kinds of discrimination that the students may face within the ambit of the school (Poteat & Espelage, 2007). Interview should be taken by the people in the management of the school of the teachers that can help in understanding the current mental framework of the teachers at the school.

Conclusion

Discrimination is indicative of the unjust treatment that the people in the society have to face owing to their race, culture along with ethnic origin. It refers to the differential treatment that is shown to people that can make another person feel humiliated. Both the children and the adults in the society may have to suffer from the impact of discrimination. Discrimination occurring against children can be more severe because children do not have much social power. There exist the belief that there are some race that are stronger which can perpetuate discrimination in the society. Group affiliation can act as an important step that can be useful in preventing child discrimination occurring within the schools. Multicultural education can prove to be useful for the teachers in handling the different kinds of student at the school. Diversity training course can educate staff in the school and anti-discrimination institutions can act as a great source of help in dealing with the aspect of discrimination within the framework of that of school setting. Peer projects involving the aspect of role playing can help in the elimination of discrimination taking place within the school.

References

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Dupper, D., & Meyer-Adams, N. (2002). Low-level violence: A neglected aspect of school culture. Urban Education, 37, 350-364.

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Jackson, B. T., & Smith, R. A. (2016). Educational Discrimination of Native American Students. Routledge.

McGregor, J. (1993). Effectiveness of role playing and antiracist teaching in reducing student prejudice. Journal of Educational Research, 86, 215-226.

Neisser, U. (2014). Cognitive psychology: Classic edition. Psychology Press.

Poteat, V., & Espelage, D. (2007). Predicting psychosocial consequences of homophobic victimization in middle school students. Journal of Early Adolescence, 27, 175-191.

Thibaut, J. W. (2017). The social psychology of groups. Routledge.

Whitley Jr, B. E., & Kite, M. E. (2016). Psychology of prejudice and discrimination. Routledge.

Whitted, K., & Dupper, D. (2005). Best practices for preventing or reducing bullying in Schools. Children & Schools, 27, 167-175.

Williams, H. L. (2015). Discrimination and learning. Routledge.

Yee, M., & Brown, R. (1992). Self-evaluations and intergroup attitudes in children aged three to nine. Child Development, 63, 619-629.