ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the relationships of multicultural education policy responses, academic comparative educational research, and actual school practice to show the gaps that exist between each. It argues that comparative theory building in the area has been negligible in Australia and there have been few systematic comparisons leading to knowledge relevant to either policy or practice. There has been little direct relationship between academic comparative education and policies or practice in Australian multicultural education. The responses by educational institutions in Australia to ethnic and cultural diversity, the result of 200 years of immigration to a continent peopled by Aborigines, have collectively been given the label of multicultural education. Multicultural education is generally understood to be about the preservation of social cohesion: despite cultural diversity, Australia has to remain a stable, united, cohesive society. The potential for multicultural education to contribute to the development of a more equitable and less racist society has been largely ignored.
