Developing Multicultural Awareness in the Classroom

Families have emphasized and put into their children's mind the importance of the school in their lives. It is an institution that the families hope will develop their children into the mature responsible, independent and one day contributing adults to their families and society, and schools have done their best to help them be that. Families in turn, for what the schools are doing and have done for their children, have invested their resources and time in them. They have given their trust to the school to provide their children with a good education and eventually to ensure their bright future through education.

Much has been demanded from the families for the continuance of the school, especially schools that are not subsidized by the government- the private schools. These schools exist mainly by the financial support, time and other material and human resources given by families to them. The parents, aside from paying for tuition fees, books and school materials that their children need in their schooling, have to render countless hours in fundraising and services for the schools to continue their operation. The schools depend on the families heavily, making them "partners in education" of the children under their care. And families have taken pride in that.

How about the other way around? How much time have the schools given to the families for their extensive support, to make them feel important, and for the children to realize how important families are? What have the schools done to know these families better and where the children come from? It is not enough for schools to accept the parents not responding or giving a little time to know more about the families, or the time to show case the importance of the children's families and their culture and traditions in school.