Toddlers who turn their noses up at spicy food from overseas could be branded racists by a Government sponsored agency.
By Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent
The National Children’s Bureau, which receives £12 million a year, mainly from Government funded organisations, has issued guidance to play leaders and teachers advising them to be alert for http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=4261 in their care.
This could include a child of as young as three who says “http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=2919" in response to being served unfamiliar foreign food.
The guidance by the NCB is designed to draw attention to potentially-racist attitudes in youngsters from a young age.
It alerts playgroup leaders that even babies can not be ignored in the drive to http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=3279 prejudice as they can “recognise different people in their lives”.
The 366-page guide for staff in charge of pre-school children, called Young Children and Racial Justice, warns: “Racist incidents among children in early years settings tend to be around name-calling, casual thoughtless comments and peer group relationships.”It advises nursery teachers to be on the alert for childish abuse such as: “blackie”, “Pakis”, “those people” or “they smell”.
The guide goes on to warn that children might also “react negatively to a culinary tradition other than their own by saying ‘yuk'”.
Staff are told: “No racist incident should be ignored. When there is a clear racist incident, it is necessary to be specific in condemning the action.”