POLICY CONTENT

Anti bias is the practice of inclusion and underpins our School philosophy. It is the acceptance that all children are valued and respected. We believe in the statement of inclusion as advocated by Early Childhood Australia (ECA) that ‘Inclusion means every child has access to, participates meaningfully in, and experiences positive outcomes from early childhood education and care programs.’ (2016). 

Our School believes that children have the right to be treated equally and our goal is to develop children’s identity and self-esteem in a trusting and supportive environment. We embrace diversity in all its forms to help develop positive and accepting attitudes in children, and to help them gain a better understanding of their environment, community, country, and the world.  

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)

QUALITY AREA 5: Relationships with Children

5.1	Relationships between educators and children	Respectful and equitable relationships are maintained with each child.
5.1.1	Positive educator to child interactions	Responsive and meaningful interactions build trusting relationships which engage and support each child to feel secure, confident and included.
5.1.2	Dignity and rights of the child	The dignity and rights of every child are maintained.
5.2	Relationships between children	Each child is supported to build and maintain sensitive and responsive relationships.
5.2.1	Collaborative learning	Children are supported to collaborate, learn from and help each other.

 

PURPOSE

We aim to provide an inclusive environment for all children, families and educators, acknowledging the uniqueness of every person regardless of their race, gender, sexuality, religion, culture, physical and mental abilities and socio-economic background.  This policy ensures all children, families, and staff are welcomed and treated equitably and with respect. 
 

SCOPE

This policy applies to educators, families, staff, management, approved provider, nominated supervisor, students, volunteers and visitors of the School. 
   

IMPLEMENTATION

Our Anti-Bias and Inclusion policy underpins the philosophy of our School. The role of educators is to encourage children to share and learn about the individuality of each child and their family and their role in the School.  This policy aims to assist children to form positive social relationships, develop and identify self-awareness and to learn to accept the diversity of members within and outside of the School community.  
“Educators who are culturally competent respect multiple cultural ways of knowing, seeing and living, celebrate the benefits of diversity and have an ability to understand and honour differences. This is evident in everyday practice when educators demonstrate an ongoing commitment to developing their own cultural competence in a two-way process with families and communities” (EYLF, p.16). 

Creating Inclusion

Inclusion supports children’s rights, fosters diversity and overcomes bias and barriers that may exist preventing children to participate in experiences within our School. Inclusion is consistent with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international conventions, including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

Inclusion involves taking into account all children’s social, cultural and linguistic diversity including learning styles, abilities, disabilities, gender, family circumstances and geographic location in curriculum decision-making processes. (EYLF, p.24). 

We will ensure children are provided with access to activities and environments, meaningful participation to foster a sense of belonging and opportunities to experience positive learning outcomes. 
 

Cultural or National Origin and Racial Identity

Our School values and promotes equity, respect and awareness of different cultures. We ensure a cultural inclusive curriculum that reflects the cultural, linguistic and religious diversity of our society.  
 
A Nominated Supervisor/ Responsible Person /Educators will:

• access information and professional development/awareness about other cultural and racial identities, especially those relevant within the School 
• engage in critical reflection about stereotypes and biases 
• ensure our program design and delivery builds on community and cultural strengths 
• develop strong partnerships with families and children to extend their individual and communities’ cultural competence 
• ensure children have opportunities to participate with a wide variety of resources from the daily life of a variety of families and cultures 
• where possible, engage educators that reflect a variety of cultural, national origin, and racial identities 
• affirm and foster children’s knowledge and pride in cultural identity 
• foster children’s curiosity, enjoyment and empathetic awareness of cultural differences and similarities 
• provide children with tools to respond appropriately to bias- build on children’s strengths, interests and individuality 
• teach children to overcome any inappropriate responses triggered by cultural differences 
• encourage children to ask about differences in physical characteristics 
• enable children to feel pride, but not superiority, about their racial identity 
• help children to become aware of our shared physical characteristics – what makes us all human 
• encourage parent input into the program and to participate on a level that they feel comfortable with, sharing their culture, and, for example, their language 
• collect information from each family on enrolment and incorporate it into the program to meet individual family needs in regard to ethnicity and home language 
• develop communication plans with families to ensure inclusion- use of interpreter/cultural support 
• where possible use both the educators and children’s first language as appropriate within the School environment 
• respect all cultures by presenting photographs, pictures, play equipment, books, posters, music, dramatic play resources, and dolls that will encourage open discussion and exploration of a variety of cultures 
• provide resources that include diversity and skin tone to foster respect and understanding for people of all backgrounds  
• develop an understanding of the needs, strengths, and attitudes of each culture represented at the School 
• challenge inappropriate or stereotypical conversations or remarks by children.  

Diversity in Family Composition

The Nominated Supervisor and educators will:

• create an environment that is welcoming to all families  
• respect each family, and work in partnership to support the child’s emergent identity as an individual, member of their family, our School, and the community 
• engage in simple discussions about families that focus on fact rather than values e.g. “some children live with their mum or dad, some children live with their mum and dad, some with grandparents, and some with two mums or two dads”. 
• be encouraged to seek awareness and reflect on his/her own feelings, beliefs and background and evaluate the effect these may have on their attitudes and interactions with families 
• respect family lifestyle choices 
• treat all families respectfully regardless of socioeconomic background 
• discuss how members of the community can support one another and less fortunate people through the provision of resources, donations of goods or time etc.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

The Nominated Supervisor and Educators will:

• show respect and a commitment to reconciliation by developing a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 
• reflect on the current level of cultural competence of our staff 
• promote the inclusion of children’s voices in all decisions that affect them 
• build and strengthen our knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and contributions 
• attend professional development to support our understandings of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and perspectives 
• provide opportunities for professional reflection  
• identify and challenge our own cultural assumptions, beliefs and commitments to cultural competency 
• engage with local Aboriginal families and communities through Aboriginal Education Consultative Groups  
• invite Elders and Traditional Owners to speak to children, staff and families about the histories and cultures of the local area 
• develop an Acknowledgement of Country in collaboration with Elders, community members, children and families which will be displayed and given during special events and incorporated into the program on a regular basis 
• develop awareness and meaningful understanding about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as part of the cultural heritage of all Australians 
• encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities access children services 
• show sensitivity and respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages by incorporating verbal and visual languages into the School environment. 

Ability

The Nominated Supervisor and Educators will:

• provide an inclusive educational environment in which all children can succeed 
•  promote acceptance, respect and appreciation for individual’s varying abilities 
• consult with all families and other professionals to enable full participation in the program for children with varying abilities 
• evaluate and adjust the environment to provide access and enable all children to develop autonomy, independence, competency, confidence and pride 
• provide children and parents with developmentally appropriate information about varying abilities to foster understandings that we are all similar and different 
• empower children in their own learning to ensure that they gain a feeling of self-respect 
• treat all children fairly and develop an understanding that everyone has something important to contribute 
• find examples in books, movies and tv shows that reflect attitudes about diversity, ability and disability 
• observe all children and with family consultation, provide an individualised program to extend each child’s interests and abilities 
• create an environment where all children can participate in activities and experiences.  

Antisemitism

“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

To guide The International Holocaust Remember Alliance HIHRA) definition in its work, the following examples may serve as illustrations:

Manifestations might include the targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity. However, criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic. Antisemitism frequently charges Jews with conspiring to harm humanity, and it is often used to blame Jews for “why things go wrong.” It is expressed in speech, writing, visual forms and action, and employs sinister stereotypes and negative character traits.

Contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and in the religious sphere could, taking into account the overall context, include, but are not limited to:

• Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.
• Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.
• Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.
• Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust
• Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
• Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.
• Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.
• Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
• Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.
• Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.
• Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.

Promoting Inclusion and Diversity into the Curriculum  

The Nominated Supervisor and Educators will:

• promote positive influences, modelling appropriate communication, non-bias or gender specific language and attitudes 
• develop appropriate expectations for each child based on their individual strengths, developmental needs, and interests 
• assist educators with the development of required skills and knowledge for working with all children and families. 
• work with Inclusion Support Professionals to assist in the inclusion of children with additional needs (see Additional Needs Policy) 
• explore the values and uniqueness of the diversity within the School. These opportunities will form part of the curriculum. 
• treat children with respect by answering their questions honestly 
• adapt activities, interactions, communication, the environment, and documentation to ensure all children and families are actively included and supported to participate in the curriculum 
• provide children with a range of resources, equipment and opportunities to enhance their awareness of diversity 
• reflect on the curriculum ensuring inclusive practice and goals set for children are realistic and being met 
• involve families in the planning of learning opportunities reflective of their culture.

Promoting and Supporting Children’s Home Languages  

The Nominated Supervisor and Educators will:

• acknowledge that the use of children’s home language underpins their sense of identity and conceptual development (EYLF) 
• promote and support children’s home languages in the School 
• present books that reflect different languages and children’s first language  
• create an environment which supports natural language learning and interaction 
• assist parents to understand the value and importance both their home language and English 
• engage in professional development about cultural diversity and building linguistic capacity 
• subscribe to Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) or other online programs to support children’s learning with play-based language learning experiences.

SOURCE

Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW: antidiscrimination.justice.nsw.gov.au/ 
Defining Antisemitism state.gov/defining-antisemitism
Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014).  
Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment (2009) Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia.  
Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics. (2016). 
Early Childhood Australia (ECA) (2016) Statement on the Inclusion of every child in early childhood education and care 
Early Childhood Australia (ECA), & Early Childhood Intervention Australia (ECIA). (2012). Position statement on the inclusion of children with disability in early childhood education and care. earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/EC... 
Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010. (Amended 2018). 
Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2011).      
Family Matters Queensland Our Way A generational strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families 2017-2037 communities.qld.gov.au/resources/campaign/supporting... 
Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2017). 
Guide to the National Quality Framework. (2017). (Amended 2020). 
Narragunnawali: Reconciliation in Education Welcome to Country. narragunnawali.org.au/ 
Revised National Quality Standard. (2018). 
Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (2011) Melbourne Graduate School of Education Evidence Paper Practice Principle 4: Equity and Diversity 
resourcingparents.nsw.gov.au/ContentFiles/Files/diversity-...