Diversity is what sets people apart from each other, a difference in appearance, gender, sexuality, culture, religion or disability. Without diversity the world would be a rather boring place although sadly throughout life you will meet people who believe this is not the case and would rather mould each person so that they are the same. By promoting diversity in our childcare settings it helps teach children from a young age to except and appreciate each other
for who they are as individuals.
It is important to consider the individual needs of each child and to ensure that they each get the same equality of opportunities and treated with equal concern. By treating each child equally it will enable them to develop a positive self-image of themselves and consider themselves as equals to others.
Inclusion is the opposite of discrimination, it is considering all factors involving diversity & equality and promoting the positive aspects of both and allowing everyone to participate and feel like they belong.
1.2 There are many reasons why a person may be discriminated against, the colour of their skin, their sexuality, religion, disability and no matter how serious the discrimination is, it will nearly always have an effect on the person being discriminated against and the person doing the discriminating. If a child or young people are discriminated against for whatever reason they may become less confident and start to doubt their own abilities which may have a negative impact on their future.
1.3 Inclusive practice is important in childcare settings to ensure that all children have access to equality of opportunity and learn the positive aspects of diversity.
To promote inclusion it requires us to know and appreciate the barriers and work towards breaking them down. By removing these barriers it enables all children and families no matter what their religion, gender or disability to feel part of our setting and it gives each child the same opportunities to achieve and flourish in their development and ensures that a diverse range of families get the same opportunities as each other therefor giving equality of opportunities and promoting positive attitudes to diversity within our setting.