Sir John told The Telegraph: “This is the corruption of the youngest children of all. Infants are being subjected to the most poisonous and divisive kind of dogma, which is groundless intellectually and deeply damaging socially.
“This woman should be defunded immediately and I will ask the Government to investigate why these local authorities are spending this kind of money with the deeply socially divisive effect it’s having on little children. I will take this up with the Secretary of State next week.”
Dr Alka Sehgal Cuthbert, a former teacher and education researcher at the campaign group Don’t Divide Us, branded the training “very Maoist”.
“The false idea that there is an imminent crisis in race relations and integration in the UK is being used as a mandate to waive in ideological indoctrination under the universal guise of ‘anti-racism’ training and education,” she said.
‘Children ask, why are we brown, not white?’
Others have defended Ms Pemberton’s work. Amy Martin, the founder of the Radical Childcare arts project in Birmingham, said that following the sessions, “as a practitioner working with children I feel better informed to celebrate children’s unique identities in a way that is respectful, joyful and compassionate”.
In one of Ms Pemberton’s advice videos on YouTube, she explained that three- and four-year-olds ask her questions about why they are brown not white because of “white supremacy… a wanting to be white because of the absolute consistent messaging that our children are receiving”.
Nursery managers and staff working with children under five are required to follow the early years foundation stage framework, which cites “equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice”, but makes no mention of racism or particular races.
The Government’s non-statutory Development Matters curriculum guidance, updated last year, is designed to support early years staff on issues related to inclusion and diversity.
‘Increased trepidation from white early years educators’
The Black Nursery Manager defended its work on Saturday.
Ms Pemberton said in a statement: “My work to date, which has seen me work with hundreds of organisations, has highlighted the increased trepidation from white early years educators about how to competently challenge incidents of racism, and to confidently satisfy the natural curiosity that all children have pertaining to skin colours, hair textures, and religious practices.
“Children between the ages of two and four constantly ask questions, seeking to make sense of the world around them.
“It is at this age we should be assisting them to develop anti-racist views in the same way we should be ensuring that they are not developing ableist, homophobic, or sexist perspectives of the society that they are a part of.”
Councils ‘fulfilling their legal duties’
Nottingham City Council said that it organised the classes to help fulfil its legal duties and said “schools, academies and providers who took part paid for their places, meaning there was no cost to the authority”.
A Welsh Government spokesman said that it had “commissioned a range of educators with professional expertise in this area to present a range of training to our member organisations,” in line with its devolved Race Equality Action Plan.
Bristol City Council said it had neither input nor say in the commercial side of Bristol Early Years Teaching Hub. Islington Council did not respond to a request for comment.
A Department for Education spokesman said: “Councils should be mindful of their legal obligation to address certain issues in a balanced way, whether through schools or working with early years settings.
“Some theories go beyond the shared principle that racism is unacceptable, and all early years practitioners should ensure ideas are taught in an age-appropriate way without presenting contested ideas as fact.”
Credit: Source link
