The article examines the historical source of multicultural education and discusses the importance of multicultural upbringing of the children of preschool age. The research investigates the purpose of multicultural education and contains observations of psychologists and pedagogues about multicultural personality of preschoolers. The article discusses the history of the problem of multicultural education. Multicultural education is relevant today due to globalization. The article reveals concepts such as multiculturalism, multicultural education, multicultural upbringing and multicultural personality of a preschooler. The article analyzes the psychological and pedagogical foundations of multiculturalism. The article deals with the goals and objectives of multicultural education of children of preschool age. The article makes reference to the question researchers are risen multicultural education. Learning a foreign language considered to be a tool of multicultural education.
According to the President NursultanNazarbayev "Kazakhstan is unique by its strong multiethnicity. According to the land it formed a unique multicultural space, which are the two leading flow. One reflects the revival of the Kazakh culture and its constituent elements, language. There is an objective process of restoration of the lost. Another thread – Russian language culture, based on a native tradition of the Russian people and all that they have absorbed during centuries of development. Recognition of self-existing cultural flows are in their complementarity and mutual enrichment that does not mean assimilation. Multiculturalism Kazakhstan is a progressive factor in the development of society. Eurasian roots of the peoples of Kazakhstan allow to connect the Eastern, Asian, Western, European flows and create a unique multicultural Kazakhstan scenario "[1].
Ideas of multicultural education originated in America in the mid-1960s and were called "multi-ethnic education." However, a decade later, some researchers began to use in their work the term "multicultural education", which has become firmly established in the scientific revolution.
The first definition of the term "multicultural education" was given in the "International Dictionary of Pedagogy" in 1977 as "education, including the organization and content of the educational process, which represents two or more cultures characterized by linguistic, ethnic, national or racial patterns" [3].
The problems of multicultural education has been accessed by A.Toynbee, E.Meyer, N. Danilevsky. Y.Yakovets. This issue was considered in the foreign concepts of multicultural education (D. Banks, et al.), intercultural education (A.P.Batelaan, G. Auernhaymer V. Nike, etc.), and global education (R. Henvi).
Today, multiculturalism and multicultural education is determined by the state of the national education policy and language. Its principles are reflected in the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Law "On languages in the Republic of Kazakhstan" and "On Education", the "State program of functioning and development of languages for 2005 -2010 years."
Section №6 «Law on Languages" states: "Every citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan has the right to freely choose the language of education and training."
№8 article of the Law "On Education" emphasized the importance of "civic education and patriotism, love for their homeland the Republic of Kazakhstan, respect for state symbols, veneration of folk traditions ...; introduction to the achievements of world and domestic culture, the study of the history of customs and traditions of Kazakh and other peoples of the republic ". [2]
The issue is vital according to the message of the president in the strategy «Kazakhstan-2050» what says that it is important to create trilingual citizens by 2025, and in integration through education andthere was emphasized the importance of English language. That is why the advantages were given to the creation of trilingual citizens. Therefore, the multicultural upbringing of the preschool children at the process of trilingual education and teaching English gains its momentum nowadays in Kazakhstan.
Based on cultural-historical theory of behavior and mentality L.S. Vygotsky can draw important conclusions for the study of multicultural education, according to which the sources and determinants of mental development lie in historically evolving culture. According to scientist, every function in the child's cultural development appears in two ways, first in the social, and then in the psychological. First between people as inter-psychic category, and then within the child as an intra-psychic category. Transition from the outside into the development process of the psyche changes its structure and function. Behind all higher functions and their relationships, there are real people's attitudes of society [4; 5].
As the issue of multicultural education for the first time declared itself after the World WarII when the newly created UNESCO and the United Nations announced a new cultural and educational policy based on the idea of human dignity based on universal human values, most clearly reflected in the Declaration of Human Rights. In the 60s of the last century, representatives of this trend believed that only needed to establish a system of education and training to improve the conditions of life of the community, to achieve the overthrow of totalitarianism and then comes the triumph of universal human values. In the 70s and 80s of the XX century the emphasis of cultural policy shifted from the general to the particular, and the main task of the theory of cultural pluralism is becoming the maintenance of cultural diversity and the promotion of cultural minorities. Now to talk about the deployment of cultural multiplicity of symbolic worlds, multiple images of the world and self-image, cultural differences. In connection with this, the modern version of multiculturalism refuses to recognize the validity of any single cultural model, value system [6].
The study of the theory and practice of multicultural, civic, patriotic, national and ethnic education of children showed that this issue was relevant throughout the history of pedagogy. However, it was solved in different ways, depending on the socio-political demands of society. The meaning of "patriotic", "national", "nationalist" conceptsdepends on the determined attitude to the masses of the people of the state, to the people of other nationalities and races recognized a need for a friendly, tolerant coexistence or incitement to hatred and physical destruction of dissenter people of other faiths and peoples of skin color. In the modern understanding of an international (inter-ethnic) education, itis treated as an extension of national awareness to their community with many nations. National education is seen as a necessary element of international, as a problem factor of authentication.
A.N. Dzhurinskiy regards multicultural education as an alternative to international socialist education, the formation of personality out of national culture under the condition of ideological unity and social integration. At the same gender and cultural education focuses on the relationship between culture, one of which is dominant [7].
M.A. Bogomolova comes from the fact that the multicultural education in its essence is close to inter-ethnic education and involves interpersonal interaction, is opposed to nationalism and racism. It is aimed at the development of cultural and educational values, on the interaction of different cultures in a pluralistic situation of cultural adaptation to different cultural values [8].
V.V.Makaev, Z.L.Malkova, L.L.Suprunova identify multicultural education to the formation of human personality, capable of active and effective life in the multiethnic and multicultural environment, which has developed a sense of understanding and respect for other cultures and the ability to live in peace and harmony with people of different nationalities, races, religions [9].
Ethnolinguistic approach limits the multicultural education’s scope by familiarizing the younger generation to the universal values forming in children and adolescents abilities to interact with representatives of neighboring cultures and in world space [10].
Several authors (N.D. Galskova, L.L.Paramonova., V. Safonova, E. Sokolova) associated willingness to accept another culture, another way of life and manifestations of tolerance, mutual tolerance because only people of different nationalities can confront hatred [11, 12, 13, 14].
All existing definition of multicultural education claim to be complete disclosure of its essence. We understand multicultural education as a purposeful process of mastering humanistic culture of educational values, providing for the development of skills of interpersonal interaction in a situation of cultural pluralistic environment, adapting to other cultural values.
Different sciences as philosophy, psychology, science, culture are studying the problem of personality, each in accordance with its objectives give its own interpretation of this concept. We can say that "personality" the general scientific notion. In our opinion, the treatment of the individual that most closely corresponds to the topic of our study is of G.K. Selevko: "Personality is a mental, spiritual essence of man, serving in a variety of generalized quality system: a set of socially significant properties of the person; the system of relationship to the world and with the world, to self and with self, and to exercise social roles, a set of behavioral acts, understanding the world and ourselves in it, and the system requirements, a set of skills, creative abilities, etc.”[15, 6-7].
Taking into account the social experience, interests and physiological features of early childhood development"multicultural personality of a preschooler" can be called a child of preschool age who has a basic understanding of the native land, its nature, the material and spiritual culture, art, literature and traditions of their people and the people nearest and other national environment; know the standards of behavior at home and in society, able to comply with them; able to reproduce the knowledge and perform in the real life activity. In other words, the purpose of multicultural education in pre-school pedagogy can be considered the formation of just such a multicultural identity.
From this purpose derive specific objectives of multicultural education of preschool children: the formation of children ideas about multiculturalism in the world and Kazakhstan, bring about positive attitudes to cultural differences; the development of skills of productive interaction with different cultures; raising children in the spirit of peace, tolerance, human interethnic dialogue.
Education for tolerance should begin with the first years of life, and the leading role should belong to the teachers. That they need to implement programs related to the education of children of preschool age in the spirit of tolerance in the process of familiarizing them with the culture of the peoples living in their native land and peoples remote environment means of folklore, folk and decorative art, literature. In the process of acculturation of various nations in children, form a view of themselves and others as a person, and the originality of the national underlines the importance of universal.
In order to implement these tasks, the content of multicultural education must meet the following requirements [7]:
These tasks are important to construct the curricula in the preschool organization to give children multicultural education.
Based on collected scientific descriptions of multicultural education we made a following concept model of multicultural education of children of preschool age.
In the conclusion,it is appropriate to state the use of multicultural education from early childhood.
Multicultural education is a background of further mental and spiritual development.
Multicultural education of preschoolers complies with the need of society and the strategy of our country and helps to raise a future spiritual developed nation. It has a great perspective in further scientific investigations.
- N.A.Nazarbayev The strategy of social transformation and revival of the Eurasian civilization. M., 2000. P.16-18. 2 The law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Education". Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, June 11, 1999. P.3.
- Education in a multicultural environment: A guide for teachers of high school elective courses. Almaty: "Parasat", 2001. 218
- Vygotskij U.C., Lurija R. Jetjudypoistoriipovedenija: Obez'jana. Primitiv. Rebenok. M.: Pedagogika Press, 1993. P. 224
- Vygotskij L.S. Lekciipopsihologi. :Sojuz, 1997. P. 144
- Sazhin B. Polikul'turalizm: teorijaiobrazovatel'najapraktika. SPb.: IOV RAO, 2001. P.75
- Dzhurinskij N. Sravnitel'najapedagogika:Ucheb. posobiedlja stud. sredivyssh. ped. ucheb. zavedenij. M.: Akademija, 1998. P.176
- Bogomolova I. Dvujazychie v sistemenacional'nogoimezhnacional'nogovospitanijaiobuchenija v pedagogicheskomnasledii: Uchebnoeposobiedljastudentovpedagogicheskihvuzov. NaberezhnyeChelny., 2002. P.63
- Makaev V.V., Mal'kova Z.A., Suprunova L.L. Polikul'turnoeobrazovanie — aktual'najaproblemasovremennojshkoly // 1999. №4. P. 3-10.
- Sinagatullim M. Novyjmillenium: rol' imestoinostrannogojazyka v polikul'turnomsociume // Inostrannyejazyki v shkole. 2002. № 1. P. 32-37.
- Safonova V. Zadachi, problemyiperspektivyrazvitijabilingval'nyhobrazovatel'nyhprogramm v Rossii // Opytbilingval'nogoobrazovanijasredstvamirodnogoiinostrannyhjazykov v Rossii. M.: Evroshkola, 1990. P. 15-19.
- Obrazovanie put' k kul'turemiraitolerantnosti // Narodnoeobrazovanie. 2002. № 2. P. 111-118.
- A. Soderzhaniedoshkol'nogourovnjaobrazovanija: s chemsvjazano ego obnovlenie? // Doshkol'noevospitanie. 2003. № 3. P. 65¬67.
- Gal'skova N.D., Korjakovceva N.F., Musnickaja E.V., Nechaev H. Obuchenienabilingval'nojosnovekakkomponent uglublennogojazykovogoobrazovanija//Inostrannyejazyki v shkole. 2003. № 2. P. 12-16.
- Selevko G.K. Sovremennyeobrazovatel'nyetehnologii: posobie. M.: Narodnoeobrazovanie, 1998. P.256