Early Years: Curriculum for Excellence
equality diversity inclusion bullying prejudice stereotypes
Diana Dodd
Principal Officer Equalities
1 October 2014
Aims
1. To support your centre’s Early Years Equality/Anti-Bullying Policy
2. To provide information on our legal equalities duties
3. To add focus on gender-stereotyping4. To encourage discussion and reduce
anxiety about sensitive issues
Curriculum for ExcellenceEvery child and young person is entitled to expect that their learning environment will support them to:
• Acknowledge diversity and understand that it is everyone’s responsibility to challenge discrimination
• Develop their self-awareness, self-worth and respect for others
• Experience personal achievement and build resilience and confidence
• Understand and develop physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing and social skills
• Understand that adults in the school community have a responsibility to look after and listen to their concerns
Public Sector Equality Duty
We need to:
• Eliminate Discrimination, Harassment and Victimisation
• Advance Equality of Opportunity• Foster Good Relations
Who is protected from discrimination?
Disability
Race
Protected Characteristics
Sexual Orientation
Disability
Race
Protected Characteristics
Sex (previously gender)
Sexual Orientation
Disability
Race
Protected Characteristics
Sex (previously gender)
Sexual Orientation
Disability
Marriage or Civil Partnership
Race
Protected Characteristics
Sex (previously gender)
Sexual Orientation
Disability Faith or Religion
Marriage or Civil Partnership
Race
Protected Characteristics
Sex (previously gender)
Sexual Orientation
Age
Disability Faith or Religion
Marriage or Civil Partnership
Race
Protected Characteristics
Sex (previously gender)
Sexual Orientation
Age
Disability Faith or Religion
Pregnancy or Maternity
Marriage or Civil Partnership
Race
Protected Characteristics
Sex (previously gender)
Sexual Orientation
Age
Disability Gender reassignment
Faith or Religion
Pregnancy or Maternity
Marriage or Civil Partnership
Race
Some Examples
• A child is refused a nursery place because his parents are a lesbian couple. This is direct sexual orientation discrimination by association because of the child’s association with his parents.
• A disabled child has diabetes and has additional support with reading blood sugar levels and insulin injections. However, this support is not available for a forthcoming trip which places her at a substantial disadvantage. The school has a duty to make an adjustment to provide the support, if reasonable and a duty to think ahead!
• The behaviour of a child with autism may be very challenging. A record should be kept of all the adjustments made to manage the behaviour to prevent discrimination arising from a disability.
• The nursery school provides separate activities for boys and for girls. Need to be aware of ‘gender stereotyping’ and to protect (those few) children who are born without a specific gender (also known as intersex).
So what do we do about gender-stereotyping?
In pairs, consider for a few minutes all the things you already do to challenge
gender-stereotyping in your centre
Some Ideas ToysDO make sure there are plenty ‘gender neutral’ toys available.
Role PlayIf boys dominate e.g. the computer space, try some girls-only sessions. (The boyswill complain but research shows they are more willing after this to take turns)Are the girls exclusive with the home corner? (as above)Try other role-play scenarios, like working in a tropical fish shop, office or hairdresser
LanguageDO keep it open and non-judgemental when talking about differences
ParentsDon’t provide activities for fathers and mothers that are always exclusive.
All it takes for wrong to persist in the world
is for good people to do nothing.
In groups or pairs, see what you think of each one.
Do you have an alternative? Can we be non-judgemental?
Coloured The DisabledChinky BullyHomosexual PakiSpastic BrainstormGypsy Slut / StudSuggested alternatives are in the handouts
Suggested AlternativesColoured Black or minority ethnicThe Disabled People with disabilities (People first)Chinky Chinese (or Vietnamese or Thai or ?)Bully Someone who bulliesHomosexual Gay or lesbian. Perhaps even bisexual?
Paki Pakistani (or Indian or Bangladeshi or ?)
Spastic Someone with cerebral palsyBrainstorm Nothing wrong with this. A hoax as confirmed by the
Epilepsy Association. No need for ‘thought showers’Gypsy May be okay. Best to ask what people preferSlut/Stud None, so I wouldn’t use it.
YOU are in a fantastic position to advance equality for the longer term
A Vision of the Future
• Bullying and picking on someone’s identity no longer happens. Parents, carers and children are emotionally literate.
• All children grow up with ideas about their future life chances - not based on limited ideas of their gender, race, class, ability
• Children with disabilities are as happy in mainstream schools at least as much as everyone else
• Parents, carers and staff accept there are unlimited ways for girls and boys to express their gender – or not!
• All staff and volunteers are Equalities Champions
FURTHER CPD available on this – see CF2109 and CF2113
Palette of Responses, e.g.
• Organisational• Questioning• Confronting• Helping/educational
Palette of Responses• Organisational – states your organisation’s position, the local
authority policy or the legal position
• Questioning – “what do you mean by that?” “why do you say this?” “If that pen is gay, does it mean its attracted to this pen?”
• “How would it be if your brother was disabled and you heard that?”
• Confronting - “are you saying that being Asian is not good?” “are you aware that this could be very hurtful?” “did you really mean to say that?”
• Helping/Educational – “I don’t want to label you but that sort of language might be considered racist” “Can we look at some of the facts about this?”
Bullying and Prejudice• Bullying is an abuse of power that is defined by its effects.
People who are bullied are upset by something someone else has done or said to them or about them. They are likely to fear that this will happen again and feel powerless to stop it. Bullying is also a breach of childrens’ rights under several articles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
• Calling it Bullying behaviour is more useful than ‘bully’ as labels tend to stick. Similarly with ‘victim’.
FURTHER INFORMATION AND RESOURCES• Unlearning Discrimination in the Early Years – Babette Brown (winner of Guardian Jerwood Award)
• Good Practice in the Early Years by Janet Kay (P95 in Google Books)
• http://www.teachnursery.com/a-unique-child/view/gender-stereotyping-in-the-early-years
• http://www.equalityhumanrights.com
• www.lgbtyouth.org.uk
• www.stonewallscotland.org.uk/scotland/
• http://www.respectme.org.uk/
• http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/p/genericresource_tcm4747991.asp
Gender Dysphoria and Intersex • http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Gender-dysphoria/Pages/Introduction.aspx
• http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/germany-becomes-first-country-in-europe-to-give-third-sex-option-for-babies-of-indeterminate-gender-8917764.html
City of Edinburgh Council Children and Families ServicePrincipal Officers Equalities (job share): [email protected]
EAL Service for CPD on equality and inclusion for bilingual learners and Gypsy Travellers
