Structural Inequalities

On Tuesday we had a group task to complete, which I found very eye-opening after learning the true meaning behind it. It was very hard to believe that an aspect so present in society could be so easily missed.

In our groups we had to work with the resources we were given to develop an item that a student starting at University of Dundee would find useful and then we were graded on how we presented it to the other groups. At one stage it became clear that not every group had the same amount of resources and my group actually had plentiful supplies compared to the others. This confused us all, as we then felt like it was an unfair playing field. Furthermore, we could definitely spot how our lecturer had a bias to the resource-filled groups and this was evident even when we were giving our presentations and our lecturer was harsher and less caring with the resource-deprived groups.

It was only in the reflection after the task that I realised the themes of gross structural inequality which were underlaying in the activity. Now it is clear to me how as a professional tasked with educating children of all abilities, this is a key theme in education which should not be ignored.

The activity very much coincides with the ‘Professional Values and Personal Commitment’ section of the GTC Standards for Registration. The four values are Social Justice, Integrity, Trust and Respect and Professional Commitment. Social Injustice relates well to the task we completed as it is what the resource-deprived groups were experiencing; their work was automatically disregarded as worse quality because of their lower status regarding resources. Just as those groups were given lesser treatment and suffered the consequences of this in their grades, so too teachers may treat pupils unequally on the basis that they are from a lower, more academically-poor social class. This behaviour is challenged in the GTC Standards as teachers must be “committed to the principles of democracy and social justice through fair, transparent, inclusive and sustainable policies” in regards to social class, gender, ethnicity, religion and disability. From this it is clear that teachers should treat all children equally to ensure every child can achieve their full potential.

Furthermore, the GTC Standards highlight how as teachers, we should aim to maintain Integrity by “bringing about transformative change in practice” and keep Trust and Respect at the core of our careers by “motivating and inspiring learners, acknowledging their social and economic context, individuality and specific learning needs and taking into consideration barriers to learning.” This applies well to the task we completed as children may sometimes face barriers like a lack of resources, but this does not mean our attitude towards them should change. Barriers are partially down to economic status, present in school life as well as wider society. Structural inequalities are a key element in modern society that unfortunately can limit a child’s achievement level.

From this task I have learned how structural inequalities are an aspect to keep in mind as a teacher, as it is so easy for them to thread their way in from wider society to the classroom.

My Goal

Being a Primary Teacher has been a career aspiration since I was half the height I am now, figuratively and literally looking up to my mentors introducing me to every aspect of the real world. I was always a child that loved to learn and soak up knowledge like a sponge; I loved to read, to test myself, to be sophisticated. However, a child’s eagerness to learn is fruitless if not supported by amazing teachers.

My most striking memory of an extraordinary teacher that really touched me was my French teacher, Mrs Rochow. I remember the excitement of starting the new school year as a grown-up Primary 6 pupil, about to embark on studying a foreign language. I also recall being a little nervous as this was going to be an entire new level of challenging – incomparable to numeracy or even mind-blowing science. Now, as I reminisce on Mrs Rochow’s lessons, I realise what was the key to getting 11 year olds to fall in love with French – making the lessons not seem like lessons. Making us jump with excitement at the thought of having French after break time with the hilarious Mrs Rochow. Everyone equally enjoyed all the singalongs to French nursery rhymes, acting out families and café scenes and, of course, having the pride of knowing how to count to 100. Mrs Rochow was where my love of French all started – a love affair continuing all the way to Advanced Higher. Unfortunately, when I mixed with other children at high school, I learned that everyone was not as lucky to have the same experience as me. It wasn’t a fair playing field, you could say.

In my experience, Primary teachers symbolized stability and were true gurus I just desperately wanted to learn more from. Primary school was the foundation for my later learning and I believe it is an essential step in a child’s educational development. All children deserve to have the right setting to unlock their true potential. For this they need great role models, exciting not drill-like lessons and a friendly environment where they can see the joy in learning along with others. I knew early on that I wanted to undertake this honourable role and follow the example set to me.

Primary Teaching is a career I cannot wait to embark on – it will feel surreal to have my own classroom and to be responsible for children getting the most out of their first stage of life. While it’s daunting now, it’s a job I know I was made for.

 

 

Welcome to your WordPress eportfolio

Welcome to your ePortfolio. This is where you will document and share your professional thoughts and experiences over the course of your study at the University of Dundee and beyond that when you begin teaching. You have the control over what you want to make public and what you would rather keep on a password protected page.

The ePortfolio in the form of this WordPress blog allows you to pull in material from other digital sources:

You can pull in a YouTube video:

You can pull in a Soundcloud audio track:

You can upload an image or pull one in from Flickr or any other image sharing site.

Teacher, Lorraine Lapthorne conducts her class in the Grade Two room at the Drouin State School, Drouin, Victoria

You can just about pull in anything that you think will add substance and depth to your writing.

 

 

Report a Glow concern
Cookie policy  Privacy policy

Glow Blogs uses cookies to enhance your experience on our service. By using this service or closing this message you consent to our use of those cookies. Please read our Cookie Policy.