Are schools ready for racialized and immigrant students? 4 factors shaping the classroom experience

Schools need to recognize that preparation for school doesn't require children to leave their languages, cultures or identities behind. (Getty Images/Unsplash) Every September, questions arise about children being ready for school.

It’s not only about school supplies, but also: Can they follow routines? Do they have the skills to succeed? Such questions reflect discussions about school readiness that often focus on children’s social, emotional, cognitive and behavioural development before entering school.

However, early childhood researchers have increasingly argued that readiness is not simply a characteristic of individual children .

It’s also shaped by whether schools, families and communities are prepared to support children’s learning, development and well-being.

Successful transitions to school depend not only on what children bring with them but also on the environments they enter .

So, I find myself asking: Are schools ready for children? In Grade 2, I returned to Canada after spending a year in Pakistan.

Although Punjabi was spoken at home, I never felt fully fluent in Punjabi.

When I returned to Canada, I didn’t feel confident in English either.

Much of my energy went into trying to understand where I fit.

If we want all children to thrive as Canada’s classrooms become increasingly diverse, there are four factors schools cannot afford to overlook.

1) Belonging is a foundation for learning Looking back, I realize my challenges were also about belonging, something that — along with identity, relationships and inclusion — shapes students’ academic engagement, well-being and overall school experiences.

For immigrant and racialized students, belonging can be especially complex.

These students often bring significant strengths to school communities, including multilingual abilities, cultural knowledge, resilience and strong educational aspirations.

Yet international evidence suggests students with immigrant backgrounds often report lower levels of belonging at school than their non-immigrant peers, even when they demonstrate strong educational aspirations.