Sorry mate...what utter (left wing, PC) bollocks|!

Thank you for your considered (and refined) argument.

I think my, then very young, children's attitude that everyone who is not Swiss is an inferior class of being was a direct consequence of their home environment. I can well see that the sort of expressions they used to refer to the great unwashed would indicate the attitudes they heard daily at home. Similarly, I would think that a child raised in the sort of home where the cross of St George or the Confederate flag flies might give away the attitudes of its parents by expressing views on foreign foods or cultures. Where else would very small children learn such things?

Oakvillian finds "suggests" too strong, I can't think of a weaker synonym, the point though is that one utterance from a child should not be enough to have the parents pillioried, a pattern of such utterances might.

This is exactly right - in any situation, not just racism. If clues and pointers lead to certain conclusions then they should be listened for.

How do you think a lot of cases of abuse are hilighted? Not from one child saying mummy didn,t give me any dinner, more from a build up of such events.

However a tricky thing to do at such a young age is for a teacher to recondition a childs way of thinking should they be in a situation where they can blatantly see that a child is being taught "certain" things.

You will not get a 4 or 5 year old to go against their parents for fear of punishment if they are that way inclined

You honestly believe it is right for a teacher to 'recondition' a childs way of thinking????
For gods sake that is tantamount to suggesting brainwashing.
Are you telling me there are NO racist teachers\homophobic teachers\teachers with paedophilic tendencies? Should these teachers be allowed to 'recondition' a childs way of thinking? Surely a teacher is there to educate? In the earlier years to encourage a child to explore, then to impart basic building blocks of knowledge (mathematical\grammatical\scientific 'rules') and finally to encourage students to question.

No teachers are there to be blamed for all of society's problems!!

No teachers are there to be blamed for all of society's problems!

or

No, teachers are there to be blamed for all of society's problems!



More PC bollocks from the UK then. Quell Surprise. The road to hell is truly paved with good intentions.

I wouldn't take anything a five year old says too seriously. To react to a single utterance is clearly lunacy, and to judge any kid of by what they will and wont eat doubly so. God knows, I try and get mine to eat indian food, they like Naan, but curry itself is still yucky. They love chinese though...so does that make them racist or not I wonder.

Whilst a student is at school a teachers job is to teach - be it lessons, life, right or wrong.

If a child comes to school and calls a chinese kid yellow zipper head (as an example just something I heard the other day so no offence meant) does this mean that the teacher should say nothing then

No I think not, the teacher (or whichever responsible adult is around at the time is morally I would think obliged to point out that that is wrong and will cause offence to the recipient.

In other words reconditioning their way of talking to or about other people (ok reconditioning is probably the wrong word however re-educating would be better).

the latter

Also for the amazingly poor literacy standards today !!

Our Nanny state strikes again!

While I don't condone racism I'm fed up with the way that this Government keeps meddling. You peeps who escaped to Canada are the lucky ones. At least you have space, we're crammed onto this ******' island

The all knowing Brown told us yesterday that he thinks we waste too much food I think not with the rapidly rising food prices. I can barely afford to drive to the supermarket because of the high cost of fuel. We've been told to also start growing our own veg, which I've done. Mind you we will have runner beans galore because that's all I've managed to grow with our rotten summer so far

There was guzzleguts (Brown) at the summit gorging with the other leaders on an 8 course meal (I'm lead to believe). Who in their right mind can honestly eat 8 courses?

We have more CUTV (CCTV) cameras than everyone else, it's absolutely crazy. It's turned into nationwide BB over here.

Sorry, I went on a bit there didn't I

Er, me.

There's always one

(not of varying types of ale)

Ha! I was wondering how I'd cope with having a unique beverage per course.

and me! Probably not any more these days, but when I was younger and fitter and taking lots and lots of exercise I once attended a Victorian banquet, with recipes mostly taken from Mrs Beeton, I think. If memory serves, the courses went something like:

Soup (mulligatawny)
fish (poached cod)
poultry (fricassee of chicken)
meat (leg of mutton)
game (pheasant)
pudding (cabinet pudding)
dessert (fresh fruit)
ices and coffee

each course had potatoes, vegetables, thick sauces, etc to go with. It was hard work but most of us struggled manfully through to the end!

I don't care for exercise but would have no trouble with that lot. I think I'll suggest they put on something like that as a museum fundraiser whenever they finish recreating the 1860 house.