ABSTRACT
Since the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 came into force, it has been a legal requirement for all institutions in the public sector, including early years provision, to report racist incidents. For many practitioners in early years settings this identified a new concept in their understanding of young children and that they are not exempt from the effects of living in a racist society. Some early years practitioners find the recognition of racism in young children a difficult concept when the traditional pedagogical approach is to nurture young children through supporting their individual growth and development while viewing them as innocent and to be protected (Brown, 1998: 53; MacNaughton, 2003: 17).
