UK National Children's Bureau labels toddlers "racist" for refusing unfamiliar foreign foods

[Saddle Bronc 124]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics...say-report.html

Toddlers who dislike spicy food 'racist'

By Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent

Last Updated: 10:15AM BST 07/07/2008

Toddlers who turn their noses up at spicy food from overseas could be branded racists by a Government-sponsored agency.

The National Children's Bureau, which receives £12 million a year, mainly from Government funded organisations, has issued guidance to play leaders and nursery teachers advising them to be alert for racist incidents among youngsters in their care.

This could include a child of as young as three who says "yuk" 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 root out 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."

Warning that failing to pick children up on their racist attitudes could instil prejudice, the NCB adds that 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 incidents as possible to their local council. The guide added: "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."

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I think this is one instance where it pays to read the article, rather than render an opinion on the headline.

Edited July 7, 2008 by Number 6

[Steve Y Jessica 1]

And from what I read, the article supports the Headline!!

Well my daughter does not like vegetables, what does that make her? Maybe I should have a talk with her!!

She also does not like curry!!! My God, what am I teaching this girl??

[Ban Hammer 14,569]

government gone too far.........

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

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."

The UK is so fukced up.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Its a pretty typical type of outrage story written to provoke indignation and foot stamping over minutia (that would be this part: 'The guide goes on to warn that children might also "react negatively to a culinary tradition other than their own by saying 'yuk'"), rather looking at the big picture.

All it is - is that a government department has issued guidelines to nursery/preschool teachers to look out for racist attitudes in the classroom as a way of 'correcting' future prejudice.

Its not "law", noone is being forced to do anything. Its just advice. They don't have to follow it.

Edited July 7, 2008 by Number 6

[Jenn! 918]

It is difficult for a child to try and eat their home cooking in front of their peers only to be ridiculed because of it. I don't think that encouraging tolerance of diversity is a bad thing.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Also its not exactly some Yahoo that comes up with these things - the government does have people who know something about children's development and education working in departments relating to the development and education of children.

Imagine that

[pedroh 21]

i dont think they're encouraging kids to eat foreign foods even if they don't like it.. but they're encouraging it if kids just say 'yuk' just because.. i hear that from adults all the time, that they don't try stuff they even haven't tasted.. I don't see what the big deal is... i actually think that's kinda rude, to say yuk or no, to something you haven't eaten before

Edited July 7, 2008 by pedroh

[Sinergy 3]

wow my daughter is picky with ALL food, blasphemy!!!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I imagine if the child says "yuk" to curry in addition to the teacher having previously overheard the same kid refusing to play with a "Paki" kid - that's probably going to ring a few bells - I would have thought...

To clarify - we're talking about what is general "advice" for a teacher to act upon and apply (or not) using their professional discretion. That context is missing from this article - its missing because the journalist is deliberately trying to get people riled up...

"How dare they tell my kid what foods to like!? RARGH RARGH RARGH!!"

Edited July 7, 2008 by Number 6

[Steve Y Jessica 1]

Also its not exactly some Yahoo that comes up with these things - the government does have people who know something about children's development and education working in departments relating to the development and education of children.

Imagine that

And the problem with "experts" is that you can take pretty much any data that is collected and use it they way you want it to look.

Look at global warming: You will have one "expert" who says it is due to the way we treat the envirnment. You will have another "expert" who will say no it is not, it is a natural cycle that the earth goes through.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Bringing Global warming into this is a bit of a stretch

All I'm saying is that there's probably more to the thinking behind this "saying yuk" thing than the article chooses to explain, and that this lack of context is deliberate on the part of the reporter.

[Steve Y Jessica 1]

Bringing Global warming into this is a bit of a stretch

All I'm saying is that there's probably more to the thinking behind this "saying yuk" thing than the article chooses to explain, and that this lack of context is deliberate on the part of the reporter.

The global warming thing was just an example of two different sides using the same data to come up with two opposite answers.

Also, as in this article, the reporter probably looked at this and came up with his own version of the story. And, the more that the reporter can get people to read the story and talk about it, the better for the reporter and the newspaper.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Well we're talking child psychology here - psychology in general has never really been about quantitative data collection and analysis, not exclusively at any rate.

I get the reasoning behind the article - perhaps more than you do, as I didn't buy into the outrage angle the way that you did.

I tend to think that people can talk about a newspaper story without being suckered into the writer's emotional hook. But therein lies the irony - because if this reporter wrote the story without that "hook", he would have no story to write, for the simple reason that the "outrage" is what makes the story.