ABSTRACT
It might be thought that a chapter concerned with multi-culturalism within education should focus upon ethnic diversity and the way in which such diversity may have an impact on education. However, a moment’s reflection shows that the ethnic identity of a person or group has little to do with questions concerning education or educational policy. The issue is not about their ethnicity as such, but about the relationship of a person or group’s culture and their values to the society in which they live and to the state to which they have allegiance. Broadly speaking, three kinds of approaches have been adopted to this question within modern educational systems. The first is known as ‘assimilation’. This means that minority groups be encouraged or even pressurised into adopting the way of life of the host community.
