British Seven-Year-Olds Told to Be Mindful of Their “White Privilege”

Politicians in Britain  are complaining about “ideological nonsense” being instilled into young children, following new reports on the teaching of racism in schools.

An “anti-racism” lesson plan devised by a group of schools in Sheffield is being used to ‘teach’ teenagers that while white people can be racist towards black people, racial prejudice the other way around does not count as racism, which is defined as “racial prejudice plus power.” The suggested teacher response, quoted in The Daily Telegraph, adds:

In the UK, white people hold the cultural power so they are more likely to be the judge, headteacher, boss, prime minister etc. This means that white people’s racial prejudice can negatively affect the lives of people of colour.

And children as young as seven are reportedly being told that they have a “responsibility” to reduce racism by being aware of their own “white privilege.”

Conservative Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott described this as “exactly the kind of left wing ideological nonsense that should be nowhere near our classrooms.”

Trott called on the Labour education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, to “urgently intervene and ensure no school is using these materials.” Although it wouldn’t be surprising for such materials to be used under the watch of a Conservative Party administration, either.

Reports late last year also revealed that an increasing number of school children—some of them as young as four—are being sent home due to alleged ‘racist behaviour.’ Writer Georgina Mumford responded that it was wrong for “their often clumsy use of a language they’re still learning [to be] interpreted as carrying a clear and malicious intent.”

The group behind these latest resources has defended them in the face of criticism, saying: “Our standalone unit by no means ‘does the job’ of interrupting systemic racism, but we believe it provides an exciting, impactful first step for schools with strong social justice values.”