CRITICAL MULTICULTURAL SCHOOLS – A CONSTRUCT FOR A DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRATIC PRACTICE

4.4 CRITICAL MULTICULTURAL SCHOOLS – A CONSTRUCT FOR A DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRATIC PRACTICE

A deliberative approach to leading and managing culturally diverse schools calls for sensitivity toward the feelings, needs and situations of others who are different to us in the school environment. Such a leader and manager would reflect a critical consciousness in understanding and appreciating why people from diverse cultures think and act as they do.

Sensitive deliberative leaders and managers ought to place themselves in the position of others (Rawls 1971), so that the theory of justice and equality in relation to the least advantaged voice can be heard, listened to and responded to developing as a fair opportunity for all.

A deliberative school principal is sensitive towards the social, cultural and environmental context of the school community. Freire’s (1973: ix) notion of “critical consciousness” steers leadership and management in the direction of exploring, understanding and embracing the richness of diversity equally and justifiably, while concurrently unifying similarities between race, class and gender (Dimmock & Walker 2005: 185). A deliberative leader and manager embraces the heterogeneity of learners, parents and teachers in such a way that a flourishing democracy can exist in the school. The religious, cultural and ethnic values and norms of a plural school community call forth an appreciation and understanding of what Young (2000:

81) calls the inclusion of the voice of difference “that aims to promote justice”. Critical multicultural education creates possibilities for engaging teachers and learners “to become analytical, critical thinkers capable of examining forms of oppression based on race, gender,

class or disability” (Dimmock & Walker 2005: 184). It requires a deepened sensitivity to the inequalities created by a dominant culture in the school.

A deliberative leader and manager would take into account the inclusion of diverse voices. In so doing, construct new knowledge and new possibilities through the cultural, religious or ethnic contributions people can make towards enriching the school culture and ethos.

Consequently, schools that embrace diversity would be built and sustained as critical multicultural environments, where the inclusion of culturally rich understandings would ensure that a socially and politically aware principal, staff and learners engage each other as active citizens of a pluralistic school society (Young 2000: 82). In other words, a deliberative leadership and management practice would embrace the knowledge, culture, rituals and traditions of other cultures and so develop a wealth of pluralistic understanding and new knowledge and new possibilities that constitutes a flourishing democratic school practice. This is only possible if the educational leader and manager embrace the Constitutional rights and values of a diverse school public (community).

In order to embrace critical multiculturalism in schools the school principal ought to empower teachers, learners and parents with skills to examine forms of oppression based on race, gender, class or disability. The role that I play as school principal is to prepare teachers to become actively involved in constituting a critically multicultural teaching and learning environment enjoyed by all. A critical multicultural teaching and learning environment is made possible only if I as principal empower my teachers to develop and implement classroom activities that focus on including learners of diverse cultures to participate as equal citizens in classroom practices. Consequently, learners would come to understand and respect different cultural knowledge, needs and desires. Teachers should teach (moral education) learners to respect and embrace each other’s differences in order to engender social transformation in critical multicultural classrooms.

The school’s policy ought to reflect the inclusion of diverse cultures concomitant with the legislated framework for a deeper, deliberative school practice. In addition, a deliberative school principal would fully engage the school community in reshaping and re-defining the school’s vision as a democratic construct for social justice, redress and renewal. The capacity to mould a critically multicultural school community as a harmonious family through

recognising, celebrating and respecting the richness of cultural diversity as a deliberative action constitutes a critical conception of a transformed school environment. This in turn would emancipate communicative action between teachers, learners, parents and the broader school community, giving rise to a deliberatively active school community. It is the responsibility of the deliberative leader and manager to direct and steer the curriculum by promoting teaching and learning where cultural and critical consciousness is being engendered to form a deeper understanding of multicultural education.

4.5 SUMMARY

In this chapter I have shown how a notion of leadership and management can be reconceptualised into shaping a deliberative leadership and management practice. Firstly, I argue how creating space(s) for deliberative leadership and management can offer a critical response to an autocratic style of leadership and management practice. I show how a more collegial, shared and participatory form of deliberation can constitute a transformed school practice. Secondly, I engage with ideas that have the potential to constitute a deliberative process for a transformed leadership and management practice and show how these four ideas could possibly change the school environment. These deliberative ideas can shape the school into a transformed educational environment: the school principal ought to have an educational purpose, drive the reshaping vision of change and thus develop ownership for change by empowering role-players who proactively and actively contribute to the welfare of the school. Finally, the deliberative leader and manager ought to model the change they want to accomplish in order to change the school into a deeper democratic practice.

Thereafter I critically reflect on the role of women in education and pay particular attention to women of diverse race and culture, based on the views of Sandra Harding, Nancy Fraser, Seyla Benhabib, Martha Nussbaum and Iris Marion Young in order to reconceptualise the role that women of difference can play in contemporary society, and particularly in my school. I explore the leadership and management styles of women as equal counterparts to men. I also highlight feminist issues of women as universal breadwinners and caregivers and the low economic value that is often placed on their ability, capability and skills in the workplace.

Lastly, I acknowledge that school cultures ought to be reconceptualised into playgrounds of plurality where critical multiculturalism engenders the richness of the school community. I argue that different cultures have the potential to enrich a school community only if the cultural consciousness of the people includes the diversity of the school community as a contributory voice in a transformed deliberative leadership and management practice.