Ensuring equity through pluralism and participation

In the urban peripheries of Lisbon, the expanding population of immigrants and ethnic minorities has led to a persistent problem of poverty and social exclusion. In an attempt to improve the quality of school education and student learning in these marginalised communities, the Network is working with government schools (in partnership with the Ministry of Education), training teachers and increasing parental involvement in schools, and introducing new teaching approaches that respond to this increasingly diverse population.

“It is striking that modern neuro-sciences have demonstrated that long before the age of six, children are aware of the different cultural backgrounds amongst each other in their classes. It is thus before that age that pluralism can be instilled as a life value.”
His Highness the Aga Khan speaking at the Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of the Madrasa Programme, Mombasa, Kenya - 14 August 2007.