Social Justice and Equity in Education
| Defining Social Justice |
One of the important themes in the MAECEL program is social justice. If you do an internet search, you will find many definitions for social justice. However, within each definition it should be clear that each has one thing in common; equity. Have you ever thought about what the word equity means, specifically as it relates to children? What about equity in education? As you will read this week, the achievement gap that exists in education today has a direct and important relationship to social justice. As leaders in the field of early childhood education, you are charged with the care and education of this nation’s children, and as such, social justice should be at the forefront of your learning. The aim of your educational journey throughout this program is not to simply help you be touched by the importance of social justice, but rather to be moved by it. Taylor (n.d.) states that to be touched by social justice is simply to be a “sympathetic observer”, but to be truly moved by social justice is “something entirely different” (para. 14). Determining that difference and your role in the transformation of education is the aim of this discussion this week.
