US schools up the ante against discrimination
By Jane Han
NEW YORK ― Even a small careless comment, if directed at a particular race, can get students into big trouble now, as more schools in America are cracking down on racial discrimination at new levels.
Last week, New York City public schools launched a ``Respect For All’’ curriculum, which primarily promotes cultural diversity and prohibits students from bias-based harassment, intimidation and bullying.
Based on the rulebook, some of the banned behavior includes threatening, harassing, teasing, using derogatory language and physically assaulting another student because of their race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender and sexual orientation.
``Teaching our students to embrace diversity is essential to preventing hate among future generations,’’ said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who added that a strengthened safety system will ensure students a safe learning environment.
Under the new initiative, students who’ve been a victim of one or more negative acts can report the incident to school authorities for immediate investigation. If the conduct violates the strict discipline code, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken, according to officials of the New York City Department of Education.
Korean parents welcomed the wide-ranging efforts against discrimination.
``You’d think that making fun of people’s skin color is a thing of the past,’’ said Eunice Rhee, a New York mother of one 10-year-old daughter, ``but it surprises me to hear some horrible things kids thoughtlessly say to each other. We need to root out discriminatory ideas from a young age.’’
Lim Hae-jung, teen counselor at a Korean community center, stressed that the new discipline codes must be strictly enforced for real change.
``We need school teachers and principals to really push these new rules and punish students who break them,’’ she said, adding that rules on paper won’t improve anything.
Racial discrimination in schools recently grabbed national attention and rekindled a call for fresh solutions after a high-profile incident in Philadelphia saw more than two dozen Asian American students get attacked by their black peers.
The Asian students, many of them recent immigrants, boycotted classes for eight days, saying school officials ignored their complaints.
After an official complaint was filed with the U.S. Justice Department, the Philadelphia School District signed a two-and-a-half year civil rights agreement in December to address anti-Asian immigrant violence by submitting an anti-harassment action plan and implementing policies to prevent harassment based on race, color and national origin.
Following the case, other states including New York, Missouri and Oklahoma took a more combative approach in addressing school bullying issues by introducing new policies.
``We've been giving it lip-service for a long time, but there is a ground swell of support to end it now. Until every child feels safe in school, no one is really secure and protected," said Dr. Roxanne Henkin, professor of interdisciplinary learning at The University of Texas at San Antonio.
미국 학교 인종 차별에 대한 처벌 수위 올려
뉴욕 미국 대부분의 학교에서 새로운 차원에서 인종 차별을 단속하기로 돼 있어 아무리 사소한 말이라도 특정 인종을 겨냥했다면 학생들은 큰 코를 닥치게 된다.
지난 주 뉴욕시 공립학교들은 “모두에게 존경을”이라는 교육과정을 출범했다. 이는 주로 문화적인 다양성을 증진시키고 학생들에게 편견에 근거를 둔 희롱과 협박 그리고 왕따를 못하게 하기 위한 것이다.
규정집에 따르면 인종과 피부색, 소수민족, 종교, 출신국 그리고 성적인 성향을 이유를 들어 협박과 희롱, 놀림, 경멸어 사용 그리고 신체적으로 다른 학생을 공격하는 일 등이 금지된 행위의 일부이다.
강화된 안전시스템만이 학생들에게 안전한 학습 환경을 해준다고 말한 크리스틴 퀸 시의회 의장은 “다양성을 포용하도록 학생들을 가르치는 것 만이 미래 세대들 간에 증오심을 막는데 필수 불가결하다”고 말했다.