Early Level:
Principle 6

Our children will learn the difference between individual and systemic racism, their impacts, and how they intersect or connect with  other types of injustice. 

This principle supports all children to develop an understanding of  themselves in relation to their race, within the society they live in. This is called a racial identity. Having a positive racial identity will help all children to manage and challenge situations in which racism is observed or experienced. The principle also supports children to understand the racial identity of others and develop critical thinking skills to question the world around them. 

Unpacking the principle

Questions and considerations

Do spaces… 

  • display representative and authentic photos, images, books and posters? 

  • avoid perpetuating stereotypes of  racial identities, such as all Scottish people being White? 

Do interactions… 

  • initiate conversations about race  rather than waiting for children to bring it up? 

  • support all children to learn about  their racial and ethnic groups so that they develop a sense of security in their racial and ethnic identities? 

  • challenge racial stereotypes and  negative attitudes towards race? 

  • show equal value and appreciation to  all racial identities when differences are observed?  

  • enable children to speak up and know they will be heard if they experience racism? 

Spaces and experiences

Spaces 

Art: Provide resources which enable children to paint, draw and  create images of themselves, representing their skin, hair and eye  tones, shades and textures. Digital tools such as sketchpad have a  range of tools to represent different colours, tones and textures.  Providing a wide range of resources for modelling and mark-making,  such as beans, pulses, potatoes, pasta, rice, noodles, sand, clay or mud for example will enable children to interact with materials they may be more familiar and comfortable with and to explore and learn about new resources.  

Experiences 

Opportunities to do different things with similar outcomes can  support children to realise that we have different ways of being and doing things and that they are all equally valid.  

Suggested Activity: in consultation with children, choose an object such as a car, building or tree, for them to construct. Allow time for children to choose their materials, resources and loose parts, either indoors or outdoors, to make their creations. Visit and share different constructions and discuss them together.  

Discuss: The constructions are all different but equal and we can  learn from each one of them. Encourage children to share how and why  they built their model as they did. Would any children like to try and make their model in a new way as shown by their friends? What have they learnt about their friends in this activity?

SHANARRI Indicators(s)

I am included.

I am respected

UNCRC Article(s)

Article 2: I have the right not to be discriminated against and to be treated fairly whatever my language, religion, gender, where I live, whether I have a disability or whether I am rich or poor.

Home/Community Links and Opportunities for Parent/Carer Participation 

  • Ask parents/carers to provide a photograph of the whole family or take a photo of the child with their carer. Print and display these and encourage children to  share stories and information about the different members of their family.  

  • When new families arrive, take time to find out how they identify, how they like to be referred, how to pronounce names accurately and disseminate this to staff.

  • Traveller families – specific guidance for welcoming, including and working with parents and carers in Gypsy Traveller families can be found here.

Even if young children do not explicitly talk or ask about race, they will be noticing differences and will already be developing attitudes, and possibly  misunderstandings, around race, stemming from their environment and the people around them. Without support to question and navigate these messages, children  may draw their own conclusions and perpetuate racist messages they have absorbed.

As practitioners, saying that we “don’t see colour” or that “everybody is the  same” is to dismiss the difference that race still makes to the lives of people in Scotland and beyond. This approach pretends that racism isn’t an issue. Silence can  result in children thinking that talking about race is taboo and to be avoided.

It is especially important to talk about race and racism in majority White settings where it is often perceived that racism is not relevant because of the lack of racial, ethnic and/or religious diversity within the setting. This should be a safe space where children can explore these topics and form positive attitudes to prepare them for life in the wider community.

Key Things to Note

Unpacking
the principle

Do spaces… 

  • display representative and authentic photos, images, books and posters? 

  • avoid perpetuating stereotypes of  racial identities, such as all Scottish people being White? 

Do interactions… 

  • initiate conversations about race  rather than waiting for children to bring it up? 

  • support all children to learn about  their racial and ethnic groups so that they develop a sense of security in their racial and ethnic identities? 

  • challenge racial stereotypes and  negative attitudes towards race? 

  • show equal value and appreciation to  all racial identities when differences are observed?  

  • enable children to speak up and know they will be heard if they experience racism? 

This principle supports all children to develop an understanding of  themselves in relation to their race, within the society they live in. This is called a racial identity. Having a positive racial identity will help all children to manage and challenge situations in which racism is observed or experienced. The principle also supports children to understand the racial identity of others and develop critical thinking skills to question the world around them. 

Spaces
and Experiences 

SHANARRI
Indicator(s)

Questions
and Considerations

Spaces 

Art: Provide resources which enable children to paint, draw and  create images of themselves, representing their skin, hair and eye  tones, shades and textures. Digital tools such as sketchpad have a  range of tools to represent different colours, tones and textures.  Providing a wide range of resources for modelling and mark-making,  such as beans, pulses, potatoes, pasta, rice, noodles, sand, clay or mud for example will enable children to interact with materials they may be more familiar and comfortable with and to explore and learn about new resources.  

Experiences 

Opportunities to do different things with similar outcomes can  support children to realise that we have different ways of being and doing things and that they are all equally valid.  

Suggested Activity: in consultation with children, choose an object such as a car, building or tree, for them to construct. Allow time for children to choose their materials, resources and loose parts, either indoors or outdoors, to make their creations. Visit and share different constructions and discuss them together.  

Discuss: The constructions are all different but equal and we can  learn from each one of them. Encourage children to share how and why  they built their model as they did. Would any children like to try and make their model in a new way as shown by their friends? What have they learnt about their friends in this activity?

I am included.

I am respected

UNCRC Articles(s)

Article 2: I have the right not to be discriminated  against and to be treated fairly whatever my language, religion, gender, where I live, whether I have a disability or whether I am rich or poor.

Home/Community Links and Opportunities for Parent/Carer Participation 

  • Ask parents/carers to provide a photograph of the whole family or take a photo of the child with their carer. Print and display these and encourage children to  share stories and information about the different members of their family.  

  • When new families arrive, take time to find out how they identify, how they like to be referred, how to pronounce names accurately and disseminate this to staff.

  • Traveller families – specific guidance for welcoming, including and working with parents and carers in Gypsy Traveller families can be found here

Key Things to Note

Key words from this principle are meaningfully and fairly. This principle is about embedding the children’s experience of rich and diverse communities in the everyday life and routines of the early years setting. It is not about emphasising ‘otherness’ or exoticizing other cultures and communities and should not be explored solely through ‘culture/diversity days’ or only at times of religious celebrations, for example. It is also important to avoid reinforcing stereotypes through images and stories which provide a single story and do not paint the complete picture.