The above activities are examples of good practice. They provide effective learning opportunities for pupils to value diversity and challenge racism. They focus on helping pupils understand and appreciate aspects of cultural difference, context and change, while challenging and extending their perceptions of themselves and other people.

What is the potential in the mathematics curriculum for valuing diversity and challenging racism?

The national curriculum programme of study for mathematics provides starting points for valuing diversity and challenging racism in the classroom. The national curriculum statutory inclusion statement sets out schools' responsibilities for meeting the needs of all pupils and provides examples of how this can be achieved.

It makes no explicit mention of multiculturalism or anti-racism, but this allows teachers considerable freedom to choose contexts for work. Because of this situation there is considerable freedom for teachers of mathematics to choose contexts for the work. The sections 'Handling data and 'Shape, space and measures' (key stages 2, 3 and 4) allow the study of mathematics to be illuminated by evidence from a range of cultures and may permit pupils to engage with the issues of race and multiculturalism.

'Handling data' provides considerable scope for raising multicultural, anti-racist awareness. In the recent review of the national curriculum, the panel considering statistics recommended that a greater emphasis be given to the 'Handling data' cycle. The cycle is:

• step 1: raise questions;
• step 2: collect data;
• step 3: process and represent data;
• step 4: interpret and discuss data.

Step 4 can lead to more questions and a repeat of the cycle.

The cycle offers opportunities for considering questions related to multiculturalism and racism. For example, if a teacher wishes to increase a pupil's knowledge, skills and understanding in representative values (mean, mode, median), they could achieve this by considering demographic data about life expectancies or infant mortality rates around the world. Real, global situations rather than artificial contexts could be raised in step 1.

'Shape, space and measures' provides chances to study cultural expression by considering and constructing, for example, Indian patterns such as rangoli.

'Number and algebra' provides fewer opportunities to address racism and multiculturalism. However, it is important to remember the historical origins of some of the concepts in these areas of mathematics. The study of mathematics does not come solely from the Greeks; the peoples of Egypt, India, China and many other cultures have made significant contributions.

What are the implications for teaching and learning?

The national curriculum statutory inclusion statement describes schools' responsibility to provide a curriculum that meets the specific needs of individuals and groups of pupils. The statement sets out three principles that are essential to developing an inclusive curriculum:

• setting suitable learning challenges;
• responding to pupils' diverse learning needs;
• overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils.

The statement also provides examples of how this responsibility can be met.

Effective teaching in mathematics can make a significant contribution to raising pupils' awareness of racism and multiculturalism. It can contribute to pupils' ability to value themselves and others by, for example:

• examining mathematical images that are used in cultural expression;
• using demographic data to recognise how people live in the world;
• using demographic data to compare life expectancies of different groups of people.

Teachers should put into place working practices in the classroom that consider and value all contributions and that provide opportunities for all pupils to work collaboratively.

Principles to inform teaching and learning

Pure mathematics is independent of culture, however the application of mathematics will be within a cultural dimension. The abstract generalisations created in the subject are situated in a wide range of contexts. This allows the powerful ideas of mathematics to help us understand the world around us.

Pupils should be motivated to engage with the subject. Dimensions of that motivation may include not only recognising that it has currency for their culture and the culture of others, but also that being successful in mathematics can enhance self-esteem and a feeling of self-worth.

Mathematics can emerge from contexts that are culturally diverse whereas the application of the mathematical concepts are the same in any culture. This process can and will promote feelings of equality in those who study the subject.

If teachers and pupils use a broad range of contexts, including a variety of present-day and historical cultures, this will promote a deeper understanding of the subject and the way it can be developed.

Teaching mathematics in a global context

As mathematics is used and applied, questions may arise that address the issues of racism and a multicultural society. For example, the mean area of accommodation available per person for living in South Africa differs massively if one considers firstly the black population and secondly the white population. The mathematics cannot be challenged, but the questions that follow from such results may address the issues of racism.