Teacher telling 7yo that Father Christmas not real

Exactly.

Of course they do.
My 10 year old still believes.

Some of his classmates don't but he has decided that Father Christmas is like god, some people believe but others don't and that's okay (his words)

It isn't, as has already been explained. The job of anyone teaching the current RE curriculum is to teach the children about what some people around the world believe and what traditions and values are included with those beliefs.

Only in the context that 'some people believe'. God isn't presented as fact anymore.

Yes.

As far as I know, even the non Christian 7 year olds in my class believe. There was uproar in my class the other week because one of the children said that someone in year 6 had told them, "Santa's isn't real."

It was easily settled because the rest of them knew he was real 😉

It happens every year.

I didn't say anything either way. I wouldn't lie and say he is but it's definitely not my place to say he isn't.

I saw a thread the other day about a secondary age child being bullied for believing in FC, I hope your child keeps that to himself, it's extremely unusual ine

So did mine. We asked DS1 not to spoil it for DS2. It’s pretty crap of a teacher to say FC isn’t real to a class of 7 year olds.

Of course Father Christmas isn't real and the teacher has not broken any professional responsibility by saying he is not. In fact there is philosophical debate about whether a teacher lying whether Father Christmas is real is correct for a teacher to do.

ultimately it was a hideous situation for an RE teacher to be put in and my sympathies actually lie with the teacher who acted professionally and morally in my opinion.

The teacher should in an ideal world have evaded the question (how though?) As you could argue he has angered the parents as stakeholders in the school by undermining a well loved comm unity tradition.

really difficult this one.

Do his schoolfriends also believe?

I don't know but he still fully believes and I won't break the magic.

How?

Why?
7 is quite old enough to know the truth

A bit ironic when the teacher’s job is to teach little children about other fictional characters like god etc

Mine knew by 6 as classmate told her. Honestly, I can’t think she’d be alone. To still believe someone comes down the chimney when you’re 10 is lovely, I’m all for joy. I’m really surprised though.

I think this kind of thing happens quite a bit. It is a hazard of him not actually being real. Some people don’t realise how important he is to other people. I’m quite surprised by how many children’s books give the game away.

My 13 year old still does

Aside from the fact that troll hunting isn't allowed I'm surprised you can't imagine that not all schools are the same as yours

The same thing happened when one of my children was at primary school, it didn't affect me directly as my child didn't believe anyway but lots of parents complained to the HT about it. No idea what the outcome was but it absolutely did happen

Do you believe me?

Most have support staff, instructors or unqualified teachers doing it
PPA delivered by QTS isnt financially viable in today's budget climate.

We’re Quakers and never taught DC to believe in Santa, for a variety of reasons. We always talked about all the positive things Santa represents (generosity, thinking of others before yourself, etc) but were never comfortable lying to them (because that's what it is really). Both DH and I remember finding it really bizarre as kids finding out that it was all an elaborate lie. But we are both autistic, so that may have something to do with why neither of us quite get it. But we have tried our best to teach DC each to their own and respect what others believe, even if you don't agree, etc.

As to whether this is a "complainable offence" or not, it probably depends on context. Telling a bunch of kids FC isn't real with no prompting just to satisfy your own principles is a dick move. But if a RE teacher was directly asked by one of the kids about FC, I think it's unreasonable to expect a teacher to lie to preserve "magic". So I'd probably go in with a "chat" first and find out how this came up, what was said, etc.

I think they know by 5 or 6 that Father Christmas is a story. Some might have been told the vague origins.

I think they know age 12 months😅😅😅 my god some of ye are quick to stop your children enjoying imagination and magic!!!! Five or six?!?! Do you have them moving out and getting a job aged 12?!

This is not the norm in the UK. Perhaps in private schools but even then it’s not standard

Fair enough but god isn't bloody real either. I bet the child would have got in trouble if they'd said that back though!

You do realise that a teacher of RE doesn’t have to follow a particular religion dont you? I mean, they’d have to be Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu etc by your logic!
RE teachers teach ABOUT religions, they are not practitioners of the religions.

Easter bunny definitely a thing in the 80s. We've doing Easter Egg hunts since at least 1983 in my family.

Don't be ridiculous. There are countless threads Google Mumsnet is 10 too old to believe in FC? and you'll see many parents wrangling with the decision to tell their kids the truth before secondary school.