Back to Intercultural Capability
What is the relationship between the Personal and Social Capability and the Intercultural Capability?
The Intercultural Capability should be read together with the Personal and Social Capability knowledge and skills related to empathy, openness, respect and conflict resolution. The Personal and Social Capability curriculum involves students recognising others' feelings and knowing how and when to assist others. Students learn to show respect for and understand others' perspectives, emotional states and needs. They learn to participate in positive, safe and respectful relationships, defining and accepting individual and group roles and responsibilities. Students gain an understanding of the role of advocacy in contemporary society and build their capacity to critique societal constructs and forms of discrimination. The Personal and Social Capability curriculum defines diversity broadly to include the dimensions of gender, age, culture, language, religion, sexual identity and ability.
What is the relationship between other learning areas and the Intercultural Capability?
Like other learning areas in the Victorian Curriculum F–10, the Intercultural Capability curriculum needs to be explicitly taught and assessed. The curriculum may be delivered stand-alone or in connection with another learning area (where appropriate), such as Civics and Citizenship, English, Geography or History. In the latter case, a 'split screen' approach is useful, whereby one learning area comes to the fore while the other is in the background, and vice versa. This approach helps to ensure that, at any given time, students are aware of which learning area is being taught/assessed and that the teaching remains explicit rather than implicit.
How does the school environment affect learning in Intercultural Capability?
It is recognised that the broader school environment can enhance the delivery of the Intercultural Capability curriculum. Learning in the Intercultural Capability curriculum involves the development of knowledge about cultural beliefs and practices, and skills of perspective taking, conflict resolution, empathy and respect. If consistent messages are given across the school and wider school community, intercultural learning is validated and reinforced. A school environment supportive of intercultural learning may be enriched through school policies and processes that promote acceptance and awareness of cultural diversity, and establish partnerships with parents and cultural organisations within the community. For more ideas on creating a culturally inclusive school environment, see the Teacher Guide for Intercultural Capability.
Teacher guide: navigating intercultural issues in the classroom
Teacher guide: navigating intercultural issues in the classroom
How can students be provided with intercultural experiences?
There are many ways for schools to facilitate students' exposure to diverse cultures and experiences. Many schools will be able to draw on the cultures represented in the school as a resource, while others will need to use other resources such as texts/films, the internet or 'sister school' relationships. The VCAA video resource entitled 'Intercultural experiences at school' can be also used as a virtual intercultural experience.
Intercultural experiences at school transcript