PRIMARY school children were given lessons in racial tolerance by a teacher and rap performer yesterday.

Amer Sheikh, a chemistry teacher at Sunderland's Thornhill School, put on his rap alter ego to stage the roadshow for youngsters in Durham.

The Word is a rap-style show staged by Mr Sheikh and former Thornhill pupil Brentt Barker to put across messages about integration. It so impressed Catherine Craig, headteacher at St Joseph's RC Primary in Gilesgate, Durham, that she decided to bring it to her seven-to-11-year-olds.

"I saw The Word at the Sunderland Empire before the summer holiday and I just thought it was tremendous.

"It's a fun way of using music, particularly rap, to put the message across at the children's level.