Should schools continue Eurocentric curriculums?

Positive minority representation in curriculums gives students role models

Question: Should schools continue Eurocentric curriculums?
Position1 of 2›: No, schools should not continue Eurocentric curriculums
Argument1 of 2›: Positive minority representation in curriculums gives students role models

Traditional Eurocentric curriculums focus primarily on the white narrative, leaving underrepresented students without positive role models. Role models in the classroom are essential to student achievement and must cater to a multicultural society.

The argument

School plays an important part in shaping futures, as many students find role models to emulate in their developmental years. Yet in a Eurocentric curriculum, underrepresented students (such as BIPOC, LGTBQ+, and religious minorities) lack positive role models to look up to. Schools should shift from Eurocentric curriculums to include more diverse voices to give role models to underrepresented students as well. The personal relationship that a person creates with their role model is what catalyzes their desire to emulate them. Minorities are not represented enough in school curriculums, making it hard for them to build a personal relationship with a role model to aspire to emulate. The call for minority representation is all the more needed because student achievement benefits from role model influence. Positive minority representation can extend from literature, school curriculum, sports, teachers, opportunities, and dialogue. Diverse role models are especially needed in STEM fields, where Blacks, Latinos, and Native Americans have been alarmingly underrepresented. If students of these races learned about positive role models in STEM fields, they would be more inclined to pursue STEM fields themselves. Adding diverse voices to traditionally Eurocentric curriculums could trickle down to boost minority representation in STEM fields, a historically White and Asian department.

Context

Role models are necessities; they give us a goal or quality to strive to emulate. Role models are most influential and meaningful if people have something to connect them to their role model (shared experience, talent, background, aspirations, etc.)

Premises

[P1]Students benefit academically and developmentally from having role models they can personally relate to and emulate. [P2] Eurocentric curriculums underrepresent BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and religious minority figures, depriving minority students of relatable role models. [P3] Replacing Eurocentric curriculums with more diverse voices would supply these students with role models and boost their achievement, including in fields like STEM where minorities are underrepresented. [C] Therefore, schools should move away from Eurocentric curriculums in order to provide positive minority representation and role models for all students.

Counter-arguments

To follow through with role model education, a curriculum change is not sufficient. A complete change of school structure is needed to include positive minority representation in literature, sports, music, opportunities, and dialogue. Role model education is most effective with an actual role model—a teacher that the students can personally relate to. Teacher role models can foster meaningful relationships by relating to student race, socioeconomic background, gender identity, religion, or some other means. In such a culturally diverse society, it is impossible to find teacher role models who can cater to every student’s individuality.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P3] Curriculum change is not sufficient on the counter's account: role model education would require a change in school structure reaching literature, sports, music, opportunities and everyday dialogue, so replacing the syllabus alone does not deliver the effect claimed. [Rejecting P1] The counter also holds that the form of role model that works best is a person rather than a text — a teacher a student can personally relate to through race, socioeconomic background, gender identity or religion — and argues that in a society this culturally diverse it is impossible to supply teacher role models matched to every student's individuality.