Promoting cultural competence in early childhood

There is growing awareness and effort in Australian classrooms to understand, respect and support cultural differences, but are we starting early enough?

If we want to create a society that values diversity, we must start instilling an appreciation for multiculturalism in young children as early as possible. Learning and development happens rapidly during early childhood, as the brain has higher plasticity. So, the critical years from birth to the age of eight are ideal for introducing the concepts of cultural diversity. However, there is not enough focus on this in Australian settings.