An objective of multicultural education is to teach students how to respect individuals of different racial, ethnic, social-class and cultural groups. This is achieved by introducing students to other religions and traditions and the history of other ethnic groups. This way, students develop understanding of the feelings and beliefs of people of other groups. A reason to be afraid of others is knowing nothing about them and this is what multicultural education is trying to eliminate.
One of the educational system's goals is to help students form their participation in society as responsible adults. Therefore, in communities that become more and more diverse, multicultural education becomes a necessity. Students must learn how to cope with people of different backgrounds on every occasion, such as in the workplace or the neighborhood. In addition, students must learn about the values of meritocracy and tolerance, which are the foundations of a multicultural society.
Multicultural education allows educators to alter their method of teaching so that students of different cultural groups can participate more actively. This way, teachers acknowledge and value student differences and allow everyone to get an equal opportunity to reach their full potential. Researchers Geneva Gay and Kipchoge Neftali Kirkland refer to this aspect of multicultural education as "cultural responsive teaching."
Diverse cultural backgrounds mean different views on specific subjects, such as historical events or elements of social structure. For this purpose, an objective of multicultural education is the inclusion of diverse perspectives in the presentation of educational subjects and in educational media and materials. This is part of what Paul C. Gorski calls "the transformation of schools and schooling," which is one of the goals multicultural education must achieve to affect social change.