Daycares in Wales have been directed to report incidents of toddlers engaging in “racist” behaviors. The guidance was first issued in 2024 and has since been circulated by the National Day Nurseries Association, according to GB News.
The Telegraph reports that taxpayer-funded provisions for nursery employees aim to cultivate “anti-racist” environments. Workers are encouraged to call authorities if a “racist incident” occurs that could be considered a hate crime. If the incident is not a hate crime, then they may offer “age-appropriate learning support opportunities for the perpetrator.”
According to the guidance, staff are to conduct an “understanding audit” and assess how well they “understand what white privilege is and how it can affect my life and the lives of others.”
Workers are further directed to “make sure your anti-racist stance is visible.” It also says: “Toileting practices vary across cultures. These practices may be very different from your own, but it does not make them unsanitary or incorrect.”
The guidance goes on to ensure that childcare workers “understand what unconscious biases are.” It asks, “How competent and open am I about addressing reporting/non-reporting of racism amongst children/adults?” It states that it is “never too early” to discuss skin color with children and encourages them to learn about the “beauty/complexity of melanin.”
Some judgments may be biased, the guidance says. “Behaviour may be judged through a Eurocentric or personal lens,” it reads. “Misinterpretation of cultural norms that differ from our own can lead to unfair or incorrect observations.”
The age of criminal responsibility in Wales is 10 years old.
