How do I tackle racism?

'I overheard a child in nursery making racist comments to another boy. I mentioned this to his grandmother when she collected him but she did not seem to consider it a serious issue. What should I do if this behaviour continues? ' Dr Richard Woolfson replies: Racism of any sort is simply not acceptable and should be dealt with seriously and firmly at the time. The fact that the child's grandmother made light of racism does not reduce your responsibility as an early years professional to discourage bigotry and prejudice whenever it arises.