Programs – English as a Second Language
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Support for refugees – Promoting cultural awareness and inclusive practices
The promotion and practice of multicultural values and principles encourages a safe and culturally inclusive school environment. The following collections, materials, resources and web sites assist in developing a culturally inclusive school environment and promoting an understanding of the refugee experience amongst students and staff.
- Guidelines for Managing Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Schools
- Languages and Multicultural Resources Centre (LMERC) collection and resource list
- Human rights education resources
- Racism, No Way! web site
Guidelines for Managing Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Schools
Guidelines for Managing Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Schools (www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/lem/multi/legislation/guidelines.htm) – provide an overview of Government policies and Department initiatives in relation to the prevention of discrimination and harassment. Also includes lists of teacher reference and classroom learning materials
Languages and Multicultural Resources Centre (LMERC) collection and resource list
The Languages and Multicultural Resources Centre (LMERC) offers a wide range of ESL, anti-racism, human rights, citizenship, peace and multicultural education materials. The collection includes books and audio resources, videos, CD-ROMs and posters.
Human rights education resources
Schools can use human rights education resources to explore migration and refugee issues. Useful resources include:
- Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (www.hreoc.gov.au) – (HREOC) human rights education program is a structured online resource for teachers of upper primary and secondary school students
- The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture Taking action – Human rights and refugee issues teaching resource (www.survivorsvic.org.au/publications.php#takingaction)
- Amnesty International - Lesson plans (http://action.amnesty.org.au/hre/comments/lesson_plans/) – Refugee human rights lesson plans
- Ideas for human rights education booklet (PDF - 436Kb) – provides a variety of lesson sparks and ideas for whole school organisation and activities. The booklet also includes details of school and community partnerships that highlight human rights education and global issues.
Racism, No Way! web site
Racism, No Way! (www.racismnoway.com.au/strategies/framework) – has a tool to help schools assess how they are working towards achieving a culturally inclusive environment. It also identifies areas where strategies need to be developed to increase inclusivity. The site also has lessons plans, units of work, games and resources to promote inclusive practices in schools.