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-stereotyping
4. To encourage discussion and reduce
anxiety about sensitive issues
Curriculum for Excellence
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Every 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)
Disability
Sexual
Orientation
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
Disability
Age
Faith or
Religion
Marriage or
Civil
Partnership
Race
Protected Characteristics
Sex
(previously
gender)
Sexual
Orientation
Disability
Pregnancy or
Maternity
Age
Faith or
Religion
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
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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
Toys
DO make sure there are plenty ‘gender neutral’ toys available.
Role Play
If boys dominate e.g. the computer space, try some girls-only sessions. (The boys
will 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
Language
DO keep it open and non-judgemental when talking about differences
Parents
Don’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
Chinky
Homosexual
Spastic
Gypsy
The Disabled
Bully
Paki
Brainstorm
Slut / Stud
Suggested alternatives are in the handouts
Suggested Alternatives
Coloured
The Disabled
Chinky
Bully
Homosexual
Paki
Spastic
Brainstorm
Gypsy
Slut/Stud
Black or minority ethnic
People with disabilities (People first)
Chinese (or Vietnamese or Thai or ?)
Someone who bullies
Gay or lesbian. Perhaps even bisexual?
Pakistani (or Indian or Bangladeshi or ?)
Someone with cerebral palsy
Nothing wrong with this. A hoax as confirmed by the
Epilepsy Association. No need for ‘thought showers’
May be okay. Best to ask what people prefer
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
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Unlearning Discrimination in the Early Years – Babette Brown (winner of Guardian Jerwood Award)
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Good Practice in the Early Years by Janet Kay (P95 in Google Books)
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http://www.teachnursery.com/a-unique-child/view/gender-stereotyping-in-the-early-years
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http://www.equalityhumanrights.com
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www.lgbtyouth.org.uk
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www.stonewallscotland.org.uk/scotland/
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http://www.respectme.org.uk/
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http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/p/genericresource_tcm4747991.asp
Gender Dysphoria and Intersex
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http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Gender-dysphoria/Pages/Introduction.aspx
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http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/germany-becomes-first-country-in-europe-to-give-third-sex-optionfor-babies-of-indeterminate-gender-8917764.html
City of Edinburgh Council Children and Families Service
Principal Officers Equalities (job share):
Diana.dodd@edinburgh.gov.uk
Julia.Sproul@edinburgh.gov.uk
EAL Service for CPD on equality and inclusion for bilingual learners and Gypsy Travellers