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Children as young as three should be reported for 'racism', Government-funded group claims
Last updated at 09:24am on 07.07.08
Nursery teachers should inform on youngsters such as these if there is a 'racist incident', says a Government-funded advisory group
Toddlers should be taught about racism and singled out for criticism if they have racist attitudes, a Government-funded advisory group said yesterday.
It told nursery teachers, playgroup leaders and childminders to record and report every racist incident involving children as young as three.
These could include saying 'Yuk' about unfamiliar food.
Even babies should not be ignored in the hunt for racism because they can 'recognise different people in their lives', a new guide for nurseries and child care centres said.
The instructions for staff in charge of pre-school children in day care have been produced by the National Children's Bureau, which receives £12million a year, mostly through taxpayer-funded organisations.
The NCB, which describes itself as 'an umbrella body for the children's sector', has long used its resources to campaign on controversial issues, for example in favour of a legal ban on smacking by parents.
It also runs the Sex Education Forum, a campaign for more sex education in schools.
The new 366-page guide, Young Children and Racial Justice, warned that 'racist incidents among children in early years settings-tend to be around name-calling-casual thoughtless comments, and peer group relationships'.
It said such incidents could include children using words like 'blackie', 'Pakis', 'those people' or 'they smell'.
Children might also 'react negatively to a culinary tradition other than their own by saying "yuk".'
Nursery staff are told: 'No racist incident should be ignored. When there is a clear racist intent, it is necessary to be specific in condemning the action.'
If children 'reveal negative attitudes the lack of censure may indicate to the child that there is nothing unacceptable about such attitudes'.
Nurseries are encouraged to report as many racist incidents as possible to local councils.
'Some people think that if a large number of racist incidents are reported, this will reflect badly on the institution,' it said. 'In fact, the opposite is the case.'
The guidance said that anyone who disagrees is racist themselves.
It also suggests cultivating the home languages of new immigrants - despite Government anxiety to promote the learning of English.
It said: 'English is now viewed as the major language of the world but this is not because it has any innate linguistic advantages - it is because English is the language of power in a world dominated by English-speaking peoples.'
Critics of the race programme for pre- school children labelled it 'totalitarian'.
Author and researcher on family life Patricia Morgan said: 'Stepping in to stop severe bullying is one thing, but this is interference in the lives of children. It smacks of totalitarianism.
'It is regulation of private speech and thought. They intend nursery staff to step into children's playground squabbles and then report them to the local council as race incidents. Who would ever have thought that the anti-racism crusade would go so far?'
Case Study
Judge Jonathan Finestein ordered the local authority to review its decision to prosecute
A boy of ten has already been taken to court for calling a mixed race 11-year-old 'Paki' and 'Bin Laden' in a school playground argument.
The pair subsequently made up and became friends again, yet the Crown Prosecution Service decided to go ahead because the victim's mother made a complaint.
The ten- year- old eventually appeared at Salford Youth Court in 2006 where he denied a raciallymotivated offence under the Public Order Act of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause another person harm or distress.
But District Judge Jonathan Finestein (pictured) ordered the authorities to review their decision to prosecute.
He said of the defendant: 'I shouldn't think he understands Bin Laden or Al Qaeda. I'm not condoning what he supposedly said but there must be other ways of dealing with this apart from criminal prosecution.'
Prosecutors later decided not to pursue the case.
Reader views (18)
Some things are an acquired taste, similar to grapefruit or Marmite. Introducing children to culture should be a happy event, if we overtly criticise children and young people, one must remember - the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
The things learned at home transpire through behaviour with peers, children alike.
Peter Haldane, I know what you mean; and the treatment of British soldiers to those in Afghanistan.
The Government are profoundly paternalistic and the Nanny State officials are no different. It is true to say way we scold is as important than scolding itself.
J Carthy - please consider this as the beginning of the reason why people end up mugging and killing - before a person offends, there would have been many root causes and intervening factors to their offending.
Better safe than sorry.
- Adejumoke Adeleke (Ba), London
I love you Brits....but please, Stop The Madness! ( Before it comes over here )
- Lois Grobb, Winston-Salem, N.C. USA
There is a risk in socialising with ethnic groups other than your own as some act or word is likely to be misconceived and you could be in bother. Narrow minded or anti social? Maybe, but keeping with your own reduces the risk factor.
- Royg, Solihull, England
Report the Racist Babies! This is ridiculous. I love the Brits but your government seems to have gone completely insane. And yes, I'm aware the U.S. government is also insane.
- Nicolette, Los Angeles, California, USA
So what's the plan, long term? How many offences until Bobby starts taking special Racial Sensitivity courses? Which comes next: Bobby is put on behaviour modifying drugs, or Bobby is removed from your legal custody?
What will they do if Bobby insists on being racist for the rest of his life? Institutionalized? Arrested? Cited and sued into financial despondency?
Your politicians are playing a very dangerous game.
Best of luck to you and your wonderful culture.
- Rodney, Minneapolis, MN, US
Three years of age? Ha Ha Ha Ha....
This is the funniest thing I've read in a long time. Children of that age are just that - children. Even if the parents constantly attempted to "programme" such attitudes into their kids brains it's extremely questionable as to how successful they would be at this age.
I can only express sorrow for what has happened to "Great" Britain; you have passed second-world country status and rapidly becoming entrenched in the third.
- Joe M., Nova Scotia Canada
1984 has finally got to the UK. Now you can have the radical Muslims cut your throats…you very foolish people. I bet you wish you could have concealed handguns like a free people have!
- Fire Fox, Eugene, Oregon
I guess the new mantra of the left is "All your thoughts belong to us."
- Vincent, USA
If the schools pull up black kids for their comments to white kids then this will work but not if it's just on-sided.
- Sarah, London
Can we focus on more important issues like teenagers mugging and killing people, before this nation all joins together and votes in the BNP.
- J Carthy, ESSEX
Actually, everyone is racist. It is natural to have stronger empathy for those who are similar than for those who are different. The feminisation of education has created this fiasco, whereby everyone is encouraged to denounce their family, friends and neighbours for having "incorrect thoughts". Kids are encouraged to treat everyone the same until they get stabbed by an immigrant then they become racist.
- Neil, london uk, Airstrip ONE .
Here we go another bit of lunacy. My step daughter has a black baby and my granddaughter who is 4 asked why and we explained that the baby's father was black. She then said that my stepdaughter should have white baby's because she is white. What should I have done reported her to the lunacy police. She is an intelligent child but that is her logic - white mum - white child. You cannot prosecute a child for racism as their logic does not compute it. Once they go to school then teach them how the different races should get along
- Louie, London
'Singled out for criticism'. Anyone familiar with how UN (including British) prisoners of war were treated by their Communist Chinese and North Korean captors during the Korean War will recognise the way people are criticised by the group and made to admit their guilt to things that they either have not done or do not recognise as crimes. Surely we are not stooping to this sort of pressure?
- Peter Haldane, London
Pull the funding from this pathetic little government department (NCB) the meddling do gooders and throw the money at proper border control. That might stop the rise in racist attitudes.
- Fly, london
Welcome to the NewLabour world of Newspeak where those with incorrect thoughts are sent to re-education camps.
- Adam, Harrow, uk
This is insane. Political Correctness has become a certifiable mental disorder.
- Joyce, Los Angeles, CA USA
Maybe the motives behind the National Children's Bureau should be investigated as this is not looking at children, its looking at the parents.
From above "The guidance said that anyone who disagrees is racist themselves." Sorry for being a racist but I don't agree with this nonsense.
- Les, Essex, UK
I've heard of this kind of treatment before, it's called Conditioning and worked to great affect in Aldous Huxley's, Brave New World.
- Albert Swift, Aberdeen, Scotland
