Cultural Diversity and the Curriculum: the Muslim experience in Australia

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper examines the extent to which the Australian education system has responded to the needs of the Muslim community in relation to curricula, staffing and organization. Australian government schools are usually described as “free, secular and compulsory” and serve the educational needs of a culturally and linguistically diverse population, but due to historical patterns of immigration, the values underpinning school curricula are Eurocentric and reflect the Judeo‐Christian tradition. For the Muslim community, seeking to have its history, culture, languages, values and beliefs reflected in curricula, staffing and school organization, this presents a considerable challenge and potentially a source of cultural conflict. Studies of Muslim children in Australia indicate that Muslim children may be educationally disadvantaged because poor English led to under‐achievement and because of cultural dissonance between parents and the school. The failure of the school to support or affirm Muslim values increases the Muslim community's sense of alienation from the mainstream education system. Australia has been quite innovative in its education policies and practices in relation to a culturally diverse population but this paper asks whether it has done enough to integrate the Muslim experience into government school curricula and to recognize Muslim needs in the selection of teachers and the organization of the school?