Religious and sectarian prejudices can be deeply ingrained among some Northern Ireland children before they are even half way through primary school, it was claimed today.
Some as young as three are already beginning to assume political and cultural preferences, research revealed.
By the time they are six, one-third of them recognise they belong to either the Protestant or Catholic communities, with one in six making sectarian statements, the study found.
The scale of developing bias within nursery and primary education was disclosed to an all-party group of politicians investigating hate crime in Northern Ireland.
Dr Paul Connolly, based in the Graduate School of Education at Queen's University, Belfast, has carried out a number of major studies on the nature and extent of racial and sectarian prejudices among nursery and primary-aged children.
His findings revealed that:
- More than twice as many Catholic children stated they did not like the police or Orange Order marches, compared to Protestants.
- Catholic three-year-olds are much more likely to prefer the Tricolour and Protestant children the Union flag.
- Catholic children from four upwards are beginning to express preference for names associated with their own tradition such as Seamus and Sinead.
- Protestant children at that age prefer names such as Stuart and Alison.
Even then, there was also a clear preference for Celtic and Rangers shirts.
- By the age of six, one third of Northern Ireland children have been found less willing to play with Chinese children and those with disabilities.