The Importance Of Multiculturalism In New Zealand

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Everyone needs to be given equal opportunities, regardless of their cultural or ethnic backgrounds. Early childhood teachers have an important role in understanding, and establishing the concepts of critical multiculturalism and intercultural pedagogy to children and families attending their centres.

The Treaty of Waitangi, signed between Maori chiefs and the British Crown, is the founding document that established New Zealand as a bicultural state (Lee, Carr, Soutar, & Mitchell, 2013); however, migration has resulted in the state fast becoming a multiethnic one (Metge, 1990). Initially, migrants came from various states of Britain (Philips, 2013, a). However, from the mid-1960s, the prospect of better job opportunities attracted people from Samoa, Tonga, the Cook Islands, as well as other parts of the Pacific Island to the country. Further, a change in immigration policies in 1975, and again in 1987, to admit people based on qualifications, rather than ethnicity, saw an influx of migrants from Asia, Africa and the Middle East (Phillips, 2013,a).

An increase in immigration contributed to multiculturalism. According to Phillips, (2012, b), multiculturalism was originally a Canadian concept that was adopted in New Zealand, and refered to migrants adopting their new country's nationality, while retaining their own ethnicity, language, foods, culture, traditions and "valued elements of their own heritage" (Johnston, Gendall, Trlin and Spoonley , 2010, p.345). This, according to Phillips, (2013, a), was possible because new immigrants were now more educated and affluent, and could dictate for themselves where they lived, especially with others of the same ethnicity, and establish their "own churches, schools, restaurants and social ...

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....govt.nz/en/history-of-immigration.
Ponciano, L., & Shabazian, A. (2012). Interculturalism: Addressing diversity in early childhood. Dimensions of Early Childhood, 40(1), 23-29.
Rhedding-Jones, J. (2010). Critical multicultural practices in early childhood education. Florence, KY, USA:Routledge.
Sullivan, K. (1994). Bicultural education in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Establishing a tauiwi side to the partnership. New Zealand annual review of education, 3, 191.222. Retrieved on 1st March 2014 from http://www.victoria.ac.nz/education/research/nzaroe/issues-index/1993/pdf/text-sullivan.pdf
Terreni, L. & McCallum, J.(n.d.). Providing culturally competent care in early childhood services in New Zealand Part 1 : Considering culture. Retrieved on 4th Mar 2014 from 1st m http://www.educate.ece.govt.nz/~/media/Educate/Files/Referenc e%20Downloads/oldECE/consideringculture1.pdf

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