Learning Diversity in the Chinese Classroom: Contexts and Practice for Students with Special Needs

2 - Critical Issues in Diversity and Schooling within Asia

Some of the critical issues related to the education of children within Asia are relevant for understanding diversity. They include: • The development of educational policy; • The tensions between assimilation, acculturation and inclusion within a global and local context; • The relationship between language diversity and proficiency, and education; • The development of a cultural identity and the creation of cultural minorities; and • The differential treatment of minority groups and power relations within the context of equality. Introduction This chapter explores some of the key issues relating to diversity and schooling in eleven countries in Asia: the ten member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), plus the People’s Republic of China (China). ASEAN was initially formed in 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, and later joined by Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma) and Vietnam. The member nations of ASEAN and China (including Hong Kong) represent diverse geographies, histories and demographics, and although they collectively form a significant world economic force, each country continues to strive for its own cultural identity. 2 Critical Issues in Diversity and Schooling within Asia Suk Ching Stella CHONG 36 Suk Ching Stella CHONG There is significant diversity in the ethnic groups within each country and between countries because of the differences in historical background, religion, cultural artifacts and language. As a result of these and other differences, ethnic tensions can occur, occasionally flaring up into violence. For example, in the Jakarta riots of May 1998, the main targets were shops and cars owned by ethnic-Chinese (Indonesian Chinese), while in Malaysia, interethnic tension also exists between the Malays and Indians and has resulted in inter-racial riots (Yap, 2001). Thus the protection of territories and cultural identities is ever stronger, despite the widespread assumption that globalization destroys the latter (Liu, 2006; Tomlinson, 2003). Through the formation of ASEAN and the establishment of a regional identity, many of these countries are in the process of establishing their own identity on the international stage. At a time when a national identity is developing, ethnic identity, particularly for marginalized groups, is also a growing force. Despite some marked differences, there are a number of issues in schooling that are common and significant for all of the countries in this region of the world. This chapter explores some of the complex issues associated with diversity and schooling in Asia — such as cultural identity, assimilation or inclusion, choice of language, preferred culture, equality and power relations — all of which contribute to the provision of quality education in Asian countries. A broad, rather than an exclusively Chinese, perspective is taken here because Chinese people are found in all of these countries and because these countries are often, erroneously, perceived to be similar, a misconception this chapter attempts to dispel. A Closer Look at Diversity in Asia The diversity and complexity of the geographical and historical backgrounds and cultures in these eleven Asian countries are illustrated in Table 2.1. Geographically, Singapore is the smallest country with only about 660 square kilometers, while the largest is China with nearly 9.6 million square kilometers. However, the smallest population is found in Brunei, which has only about 380,000 people living in a land of 5,770 square kilometers in contrast to China’s 1.3 billion people. Historically, the ASEAN countries, except Thailand, were colonies of Western powers. For example, Brunei, Malaysia, Myanmar and Singapore were colonized by the British; Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam by the French; Indonesia by the Dutch; and the Philippines by the Spaniards and later the Americans. China remained a closed country for many centuries until the regime of Deng Xiaoping in 1978 (Chow, 2004). The British influence was largely restricted to Hong Kong island ceded by China in 1841 until 1997. Critical Issues in Diversity and Schooling within Asia 37 Brunei 5,770 379,444 Malay 67%, Malay, English, Islam 67% Independence $23,600 Chinese 15%, Chinese and Arabic Buddhism 13%, from Britain on (2003 est.) Europeans 12% Christianity 10%, January 1, 1984 Indigenous 6%, indigenous beliefs others: Dyak and other 10% Cambodia 181,040 13.9 Khmer 90%, Khmer, French Theravada Independence $2,200 million Chinese 1%, and English Buddhism 95%, from France on Vietnamese 5%, Hinduism, Islam November 9, 1953 others: Cham, Lao, Shan, Thai 4% Indonesia 1,919,440 245.5 Javanese 45%, Bahasa Indonesia, Islam 88%, Once part of the $3,700 million Sundanese 14%, English, Dutch...