discrimination in schools
A new teacher accepts a job at vocational school in Santiago for learners between 7th and 12th grade. The new teacher is astonished by the large group of students of Peruvian descent who make up 28% of the total population. The new teacher soon recognizes the rifts between the Peruvian and the majority of Chilean leaners. He also recognizes that information regarding the War of the Pacific between Chile and Peru was wrongly presented as the Chileans were given recognition instead of the Peruvian captain who defeated the Chilean army (Gorton & Alston, 2019). Such misinformation impacted the Peruvian negatively as they felt their culture was disrespected. The students also sit in distinct arrangements with the Peruvians taking one side while the Chileans occupy the others. The Peruvians complain of this discrimination and celebrate blatantly in the faces of the Chileans when the Peru soccer team beats the Chilean team in an international game. The situation is worsened when the new teacher discovers that one of the parents had her daughter transfer from the institution for dating a Peruvian boy. According to the father, such a relationship would ruin his daughter (Gorton & Alston, 2019). The Peruvian students top the test scores in every grade, and the teachers want to keep them for their academic excellence. On one occasion, the Peruvian students sing their national anthem during an assembly, which is highly welcomed by all as a progressive gesture of creating harmony among the groups. The new teacher proposes the school hosts the first Expo Peru to celebrate their culture and open the school community to learning from the same as an endeavor to improve respect for others regardless of their ethnicity.
Larger issues
The case represents a sensitive case of discrimination in schools suffered mainly by the minorities in such populations. Such discrimination impacts students’ performance adversely. For instance, many companies rejected Peruvian students for internship opportunities for the ethnic background and preferred the Chileans even when they performed dismally (Glewwe, Krutikova & Rolleston, 2017). Such students might get discouraged as their hard work would be overlooked in society. Discrimination, in this case, could also cause animosity among learners, which could raise tension and disrupt learning. When the pressure mounts, the smaller groups could organize and result in revenge as they seek to secure their own.
Solution
The solution to discrimination lies in educating the people to understand the way of life of others, thus giving them the respect they deserve (Graham & Nevarez, 2017). The inclusion of Peruvian leaners into school activities such as the singing of the national anthem established a connection from the Chileans who got to understand the Peruvian heritage. The Expo Peru provides the most significant opportunity for students to work together while they prepare for the same. In so doing, they get to solve their conflicts amicably through educative discussions. The community would also get to learn more about Peru from such an occasion which could establish an organizational culture of tolerance and respect for others.
view of how the school deals with social issues
the school has had a reluctant way of handling social issues as they only see the Peruvian leaners as academic test score boosters. The new approach of the new teacher is more inclusive and offers lasting solutions that impact not only the students but the community alike. As a principle, I would embrace the way of the new teacher of advancing knowledge and integration as a means to learn, tolerate, and respect others regardless of their ethnicity.