Philosophy for Children in ethnoculturally diverse schools: Some opportunities and risks of learning about diversity through philosophical dialogue

First- and second-generation immigrant students make up a signification proportion of the primary and secondary school population on the island of Montreal (Quebec, Canada). The Quebec Ministry of Education’s Policy Statement on Educational Integration and Intercultural Education highlights the importance of teaching students about diversity; Philosophy for Children (P4C) could be a promising approach in this regard. However, some scholars have raised concerns about P4C’s lack of sensitivity regarding racism and marginalisation. This article, drawing on empirical data collected during a larger study, explores some ways in which P4C can help students learn about diversity, as well as some of the risks and limitations of using philosophical dialogue to explore ethnocultural diversity, racism, or immigration. The study, conducted in an ethnoculturally diverse grade four classroom in Montreal between January and June 2023, involved a series of philosophical dialogues with the participating students, as well as semi-structured interviews with the students and with their teacher. The results of the study suggest that P4C can help students gain greater awareness of diversity, explore diversity from a theoretical perspective, and question certain stereotypes through collective reflection. However, they also point to certain risks inherent in using P4C to discuss diversity, highlighting the importance of careful facilitation and increased sensitivity training for P4C facilitators around the experiences of immigrant and racialised students. I conclude by proposing some reflections both for facilitators and for future academic research in the field.