Thoughts from a Scottish early years practitioner

Jane Gracie created the lesson plans in the Early Years section on this site. Here she shares her thoughts about why it is important to engage in anti-sectarian work within the early years. Jane is an early years teacher in Mayfield Nursery, Midlothian Council.

My interest in contributing to this project is personal as well as professional. Issues relating to sectarianism were prominent in my life from an early age. I grew up in the west of Scotland, with parents from each side of the Catholic / Protestant divide. A vivid memory of a visit to my Gran in Omagh, County Tyrone when I was five years old, still disturbs me when I remember it now.

Playing in the street I met a three year-old girl who asked if I was 'green, white and gold, or red white and blue' and made it clear that if I was one and not the other I couldn't play with her. She pointed out the tri-coloured kerb stones outside each house that indicated that two families in that street were in the minority that she wouldn't play with. Upset and confused, I asked my Gran what it meant, and which I was. I don't remember her explanation, but I do remember that her answer meant that the little girl didn't want to play with me.

All this makes me believe that it is imperative that we teach about tolerance in an anti-discriminatory way from the very earliest years of education - it's integral to learning to be part of our diverse society. It is at the time when children are developing their identity and sense of self-esteem that they need to develop values and skills which will help them to grow up to become adults confident of themselves, comfortable with living and working with diversity and having the skills to challenge prejudice and bigotry.