OUR ENQUIRY

ANTI-BIAS POLICY

Anti-Bias is a term for challenging prejudice, stereotyping and bias of individuals and their identities.

  AIM

At Little Explorer’s Early Learning Centre we aim to:

  Welcome each and every child and family to the Centre and programme

  Provide a programme and environment that is inclusive of all children

  Provide accurate developmentally appropriate information to develop positive attitudes towards
     people of different culture, race, language, physical ability and gender.

  Ensure that the programme meets the needs of each child and family.

  Encourage each child to develop to their full potential.

  Rationale

Everyone has the right to be treated equally and with respect. We believe that diversity enriches life and culture. By helping children to appreciate and accept differences and similarities we can help them to learn to make decisions on the basis of individual choice and without needing to rely on stereotypes and prejudicial conceptions.

  IMPLEMENTATION

The Centre intends to develop and extend the talents and skills of all children, regardless of sex, race, cultural, socio-economic background or ability.

Enable children to develop respect for and interest in physical, racial, religious and cultural differences through a variety of foods and cooking experiences, stories, puzzles, music and language activities and creative and sensory experiences.

  Enable children to develop independence, autonomy, competency, confidence and pride.

  Provide children with accurate, developmentally appropriate information about their own and other
     cultures and differing abilities.

  Staff will be positive role models, encouraging both girls and boys to experience active/gross motor
     play in order to develop their physical potential.

  Provide a wide range of male and female work roles, both within and out of the home, including
     nurturing behaviour. This is presented through play and language experiences.

  Encourage all children to develop friendships with each other (regardless of age, sex, culture or
     disability) based on mutual trust and respect.

  Where necessary and/or convenient, parent information will be translated into other languages.

  Encourage and invite parents from a non-English speaking background and cultures other than
     Anglo Australian to contribute knowledge of their own culture to enhance the overall programme.

  Challenge bias, stereotypes and prejudice in materials and resources and in comments or actions of
     the children.

  Implement “Multicultural Principles for Children’s’ Services” as stated in the N.S.W. Department of
     Community Services Regulations and Licensing Guidelines for Centre-Based Childcare Services, as
     shown below: -

     1. Multiculturalism is the right of all people to have equal opportunity to access society’s resources
     and the need for recognition and understanding of their diverse languages, cultures, religious
     practices and values.

     2. All services should be accessible and appropriate to children of non-English speaking
     background.Recognition and support and opportunity should be given to ensure: -

  the right of all children to maintain their language and culture

  the need to acknowledge different religious and cultural practices

  the right of all children to benefit from good quality educational programmes and activities which
     will ensure that each child’s cultural heritage is respected

     3. A programme with a multicultural perspective acknowledges and supports the linguistic, cultural
     and religious background of all the children.

     4. Children bring specific knowledge and skills through membership of a particular cultural group with
     them to the learning situation.

     The implementation of such opportunity is afforded through the provision of:

  adequate and appropriate food and drinks available ;to children according to their cultural needs

  the employment of bilingual staff to enable and encourage the participation of both parents and
     children in the service

  sensitivity to cultural, linguistic and religious factors to ensure that each child is accorded their
     rights and that the needs of both parents and children are preserved

  folksongs, stories, art and craft are only the beginnings of any genuine multicultural programme.
     The development of cultural recognition and the affirmation of the child require that service
     personnel develop the knowledge, awareness and sensitivity of cultural differences in order to
     provide the necessary experiences for all children attending the service.