UK agency gives tips for spotting racist toddlers
Categories: Babies, Toddlers, Preschoolers, In the news, Weird but true, Childcare, Education
In an effort to help teachers and child-care workers spot budding racists, the UK's National Children's Bureau (NCB) has come out with a 366-page guide called Young Children and Racial Justice. The guide includes helpful hints and tips on what to look for in determining if a little child is a potential racist.
For example, if a child should refer to someone with the words "blackie", "Pakis" or even "those people", the guide advises that the action should be condemned and reported to authorities. Playgroup leaders are further advised that even little babies are suspect when it comes to having a racial bias since they can "recognize different people in their lives".
Now, I would agree that if I child is using some of those words, there is a good chance that child has a racist adult in his or her life. But what about the pamphlet's advice regarding food? According to the NCB, if a child reacts with "yuk" to culinary tradition other than their own, that is a sign of racism.
The pamphlet encourages workers to report as many incidents as possible to their local council, saying: "Some people think that if a large number of racist incidents are reported, this will reflect badly on the institution. In fact, the opposite is the case." In other words, the more the better. Even if you have to invent them.
But the bigger question here is what exactly are they doing with this information? Are they going back to the parents or other adults and accusing them of racism? Is the child who dislikes spicy food going to end up with the word 'racist' in his or her permanent file?
For example, if a child should refer to someone with the words "blackie", "Pakis" or even "those people", the guide advises that the action should be condemned and reported to authorities. Playgroup leaders are further advised that even little babies are suspect when it comes to having a racial bias since they can "recognize different people in their lives".
Now, I would agree that if I child is using some of those words, there is a good chance that child has a racist adult in his or her life. But what about the pamphlet's advice regarding food? According to the NCB, if a child reacts with "yuk" to culinary tradition other than their own, that is a sign of racism.
The pamphlet encourages workers to report as many incidents as possible to their local council, saying: "Some people think that if a large number of racist incidents are reported, this will reflect badly on the institution. In fact, the opposite is the case." In other words, the more the better. Even if you have to invent them.
But the bigger question here is what exactly are they doing with this information? Are they going back to the parents or other adults and accusing them of racism? Is the child who dislikes spicy food going to end up with the word 'racist' in his or her permanent file?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mihir 7-08-2008 @ 3:44PM
is this an actual report or did some moron think the onion ran real news stories?
Reply
momes 7-09-2008 @ 10:02AM
lmao
PATRICIA 7-08-2008 @ 3:49PM
THIS IS THE DUMBEST ARTICLE I'VE READ IN AWHILE AND I'M BLACK.
Reply
Tom 7-08-2008 @ 4:24PM
If a child sh.its brown, will that make them racial because it never came out white?
Who is the dumb frickin moron who comes up with these brain dead
Ideas.
Wait a min I betcha fat boy sharpton probably put them up to this.
Of course since fat boy is the biggest hippocrite there is, it would not surprise me in the least.
When I was growing up, we use to say pakis, referring to the pakistanis, It not that it was racial, it was the way to Identify them.
So whats the big deal.
I use to eat jam that had the golly wog on the jar. SO WHAT?
That never made me become racial.
I use to watch a tv show when I was a kid, It was called the black and white minstrels show.
It was actors who would paint there faces black and entertain us with singing and dancing.
There was never any prejudice involved,just good wholesome entertainment.
That was then before all these (Lets find faults with everyone arseholes) came crawling out of the s.h.i.t. pile.
This planet is going to hell on the fast track, and these buttheads out there are so concerned about how people react to others.
GET A LIFE.
Reply
momes 7-08-2008 @ 5:05PM
are they serious?? if a kid says a "racial" slur he probably learned it from home so what good is reporting it?? he's being raised that way. oh god people are stupid.
Reply
Baron 7-08-2008 @ 10:13PM
Well, seeing that this is in the UK and knowing at least a little bit (mostly only from what I've read though) about some of their policies, I'd say this is going in a database somewhere. It will probably put the parents and the kid in there as potential "problem" citizens, etc. I would say that it is generally not a good thing. At the same time, I know that a lot of people here think we are just so racist and bad and all that stuff, but unless you have traveled and seen first hand things over in Europe, we really aren't "that" bad. What I noticed over there is that they (this was in France) didn't even bother to hid any racial feelings for anyone else. At least here, most people are "nice" enough to keep it to themselves.
Reply
tlarmon 7-10-2008 @ 1:57PM
What is wrong with these people, they need to get a real job, and stop adding more problems to this troubled world. It is people that way to much time on there hands and there pea brain can't function right. I don't like spicey food, does that mean i hate the Mexicans. GET A LIFE.
Tracey Armon
Reply