Anti-Bias Curriculum

“If we are to achieve a richer culture… we must weave one in which each diverse human gift will find a fitting place.” ~ Margaret Meade

The Halifax Developmental Centre for Early Learning promotes the respect of differences of others and self-respect. We have created an exclusive, non-discriminating environment that has a rich variety of possibilities for exploring gender, race, and different abilities. We have displayed our attitude throughout all aspects of our daily routine, and all learning centers in the Developmental Centre. Creating a diverse environment was the first step in implementing an anti-bias Anti-Bias Curriculum.

An anti-bias Anti-Bias Curriculum requires commitment and involvement at every level of a program including the Board of Directors, administration, teaching staff, and support staff. Multicultural education means our program is committed to human rights, dignity of the individual and social justice. We strive to create a program that is challenging, productive, and truly reflects the lives of our children, families, staff, and community. We seek to recognize, appreciate, and respect the uniqueness of each child while creating an environment, which is open to learning and most of all fun.

This eloquent poem written by a 4th grade student at Joseph Howe School captures the spirit in which our anti-bias Anti-Bias Curriculum has been formed.

The Rainbow Children

The rainbow children are many colours
We shine in different lights.
We look for the rainbow in others
And we respect the rainbow of right
~Nathaniel Wright

Why are we proud?

The Halifax Developmental Centre for Early Learning has become known as a center of excellence in the service delivery to children with special needs. We are a very progressive and innovative center that has gone out of the way to make sure that all children have access to a unique early intervention program. We continually move towards improving upon our existing program and operate under the belief that there is always room for improvement.

Why integrate children?

The philosophy of our Developmental Centre is one of total inclusion. Every child has individual needs. A child with special needs faces barriers to normal development and is delayed in one or more of the following areas of development: motor, cognition, language, social, emotional, and/or self-care. Therefore, an important aspect of this program is recognizing the uniqueness of each child and providing positive encouragement for the child’s continued growth.

Placing children with special needs and those who do not together in a caring Developmental Centre is beneficial to all involved. While children with special needs receive the particular one-to-one support that they require from trained staff, they also learn and grow in many ways through daily play with other children.

Young children are by nature accepting, and in this environment, they learn that while not everyone has the same abilities, everyone is accepted in the same way. Our ratio of children to teachers ensures that our children receive a high degree of individual attention

As eloquently stated by Marsha Forest: “Inclusion is not Exclusion”

“…Inclusion is not exclusion. Inclusion is belonging to one race, the human race. Inclusion is a basic human right. Inclusion is not something we do a little of. It either is or is not. It is not a fad. It is a trend, similar to democracy. Inclusion is fair play, common sense, common decency, and hard work. Inclusion is elegant in its simplicity and like love awesome in its complexity. Inclusion is a battle cry, a parent’s cry, a child’s cry to be welcomed, embraced, cherished, prized, and loved as a gift, as a wonder, a treasure. Inclusion is pain – struggle – joy – tears – grief – mourning – celebration! … Inclusion is a kaleidoscope of diversity, bits of color, sounds, shapes, and sizes. Inclusion is the future!”