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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Dcs school aren't allowing them to celebrate Christmas in anyway

70 replies

Keremy · 21/12/2016 17:07

I suspect I am BU but over to you.

Dcs school is multi faith sensitive and we love that. Both dc have a huge amount of friends of all religions and backgrounds which I think is fantastic.

Last year the school celebrated Christmas in an acknowledgement of the event like you would in RE, not in all lessons but on the last week before Christmas they made Christmas wreaths and ginger bread houses and such because they are in until the day before Christmas Eve so miss a lot of the build up other kids who aren't in school have. They also have time off for Eid and celebrate Eid and I would add I have NO issue with this at all.

However this year the head has put a stop on anything Christmas. The staff have been trying to do Christmas things with them and the head has flat out refused to allow them to do anything and in fact stepped in to stop it if a teacher has.

Last year they had a huge festive dinner where the whole school sat down together but that has been stopped too.

I am really quite cross with this, I am not super religious but I think given they are in a multi faith school they are wrong to completely write it out unless they do away with acknowledgement of any religious celebration.

The kids have been told that every day is a work day and they wouldn't be allowed to celebrate Christmas in the work place so they should get on with it but a) many work places have Christmas parties or events and finish early and b) they are kids and have plenty of time in the work place to come.

Would it bother you?

Just to add this is in no way a 'people of other religions want to ban Christmas' thread. I have plenty of friends who are other religions and know that this is bollocks.

OP posts:
viques · 21/12/2016 17:38

Are they due Ofsted? Heads do go a bit loopy if they think Ofsted if hovering. My last job we had the visit two weeks before Christmas which meant a quick revamp of all our plans.........

FucksSakeSusan · 21/12/2016 17:39

Sounds quite literally unbelievable.

MTWTFSS · 21/12/2016 17:40

If this doesn't get made into a Daily Mail article I don't know what will!

Original poster
Keremy · 21/12/2016 17:40

They have a week off for Eid but finish later than other schools at other holidays. For instance the dc break up at 3pm on Friday where as most others here have already broken up now.

I 'think' that so many weeks of school are set but others are allowed to be more defined by the school? I know they finish very late in Summer too.

Even if they ban all religious events then I think that would be a massive shame too. My dc have gained a lot of understanding of their friends by learning about Islam, Jewish and Hindu faiths and such and I think that would be wrong too if it was stopped.

There hasn't been any 'winter' concert rubbish, in fact no concert or acknowledgement at all.

Not second hand no. I spoke to a staff member based on what one of my dc said at home who confirmed that they wanted them to do work until leaving.

OP posts:
SapphireStrange · 21/12/2016 17:41

A week off for Eid. Confused

That's odd, as is having events for Chinese new year and activities around Divali but NO mention of Christmas at all.

The kids have been told that every day is a work day and they wouldn't be allowed to celebrate Christmas in the work place so they should get on with it

Have you accidentally sent your kids to a gulag?

Sorry, that was in poor taste, but you take my point.

Has the school communicated about this with the parents? What do other parents think?

ALemonyPea · 21/12/2016 17:41

Wha religion is the head?

Original poster
Keremy · 21/12/2016 17:47

I don't remember them doing anything for Diwali this year actually. I know last year they definitely did Diwali Crafts and learned the meaning of the Festival of Light and had an assembly/display in the younger school.

It has definitely be done in a we expect them to work full time to the last minute type of way no festivities type of way this year.

I bet someone has bloody requested time off for a holiday and kicked off with the all they do is watch dvds anyway comment and this is the result or something!

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 21/12/2016 17:47

Weird to have a week off for Eid.

Muslim kids here are allowed a day or two off but that's it.

Ragwort · 21/12/2016 17:53

Especially as Christmas is not at all religious now.

Really Hmm? That's rather a sweeping statement, many, many people will be celebrating Christmas by attending a Church service & believe that celebrating Christmas means celebrating the birth of Christ ...... many volunteers who help at Crisis centres, homeless lunches etc etc due to so because of their faith.

Original poster
Keremy · 21/12/2016 17:55

I have no idea what religion of the head is to be honest other than they are the same ethnicity as me.

I really don't think this is a religion against religion thing, it seems to be more based on you will work till the very last minute like you would in the workplace thing.

My Dad worked in a Catholic school some years ago as a teacher and the Catholic head there wouldn't allow any Christmas decorations or any activities other than Mass either so it does happen.

I think the week at Eid was sorted because they have a lot of pupils who visit family and friends to celebrate at that time of year like we do at Christmas and so wouldn't come in anyway.

OP posts:
LagunaBubbles · 21/12/2016 17:59

Sounds a real shame to me.

BroomstickOfLove · 21/12/2016 17:59

Is this a state school in the UK? Because the term dates and general culture seem quite unusual.

Genevieva · 21/12/2016 18:00

So last year the kids got to do some non-religious, cultural activities with a Christmas theme. This year all reference to Christmas has been banned?

Was their celebration of Eid just cultural, or did they also learn about the religious stories and messages behind the festival?

The head seems to have a strange chip on his or her shoulder that is specifically anti-Christian. I don't know any Muslim who would support this decision. Muslims I know are more likely to believe in the virgin birth than Christians and go out of their way to point out that Muslims also believe that Jesus existed and was the son of Mary. They depart on the distinction between being god incarnate or the second last prophet, but there are important overlaps.

Celebrating the presence of multiple faiths in modern Britain requires opportunities for constructive inter-faith dialogue, as well as learning about what the members of different faiths do as part of their religious observance and why they do those things. The school seems to be failing miserably. The cruelty in refusing to recognise the importance of Christmas to members of the school community shows a worrying lack of pastoral care.

Incidentally, there is still a rather anachronistic rule that requires all schools to provide collective worship of a broadly Christian nature. The school are clearly in breach of that. I would report them to ofsted for religious discrimination, which is a criminal offence.

littleducks · 21/12/2016 18:04

Sounds like lots of cancellations then if this academic year no Eid or Diwali events...did they get bad SATS results or something?

VioletRoar · 21/12/2016 18:08

I suppose it's up to the head, very bah humbug though. To ban all religious celebrations/fun related to them will just lower morale in the long run I suspect.

Original poster
Keremy · 21/12/2016 18:10

It is not a state school.
I am wildly guessing that the head is either Christian or athiest based on what I know about their background, ethnicity, name but obviously that is judging blindly.

Last year they did Christmas crafts, Diwali crafts and learned about Islam and the younger ones dressed up in red and learnt about Chinese new year and made pop up card things with happy new year and dragons on.

This year nothing. I hadn't realised Diwali had already happened so no they haven't acknowledged that this year either then.

Genevieva definitely no collective worship of any kind as far as I know.

OP posts:
BertrandRussell · 21/12/2016 18:11

Oh, it's a private school. They can do what they like then.

RufusTheSpartacusReindeer · 21/12/2016 18:13

The majority of work places in the uk allow their staff to 'celebrate' christmas

Even if its only tinsel draped over a computer

Musicinthe00ssucks · 21/12/2016 18:15

Not sure there is much you can do if it is a private school

LuluJakey1 · 21/12/2016 18:18

Is it one of those academies that was in the news last year? Where there is a distinct religious affiliation that becoms more pronounced as time goes on and the culture of the school becomes very focused n one religion?

OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow · 21/12/2016 18:19

Is this part of a Trust by any chance? Our secondary this year has joined a MAT, it was made clear that we worked to the wire, no special lunch, nothing special. I think it can be targets rather than ideology. Blooming sad either way.

OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow · 21/12/2016 18:21

Sorry, cross post.

annandale · 21/12/2016 18:24

YANBU. Write to the governors.

Original poster
Keremy · 21/12/2016 18:26

No distinct religious affiliation. Definitely multi faith and a massive amount of children from all faiths.

I am actually more annoyed now I realise I don't think they acknowledged Diwali this year either to be honest. The school is so religiously mixed that they have a fantastic opportunity to really help the kids develop an understanding of each others religions and beliefs.

I know one of the dc and his best friend have had fantastic conversations this week on what happens on Christmas day in our household and talking about Jesus being in Islam too so maybe the kids will do that their self.

OP posts:
ViewBasket · 21/12/2016 18:30

I think it's strange to exclude one of the main festivals that's celebrated in this country. A multicultural learning environment should be about including, not excluding/ignoring, the main events from the prevalent cultures in the UK.