Nativity play ‘banned in schools’

[CoughLaughFart]

A couple of my FB friends have recently shared a post about what a disgrace it is that the nativity play is now ‘banned in schools’ and that the tradition must be restored immediately as this is a CHRISTIAN country (it's always in caps). I have two problems with this:

1. A search for ‘nativity school banned’ brings up several results for stories about schools banning photography at nativity plays, plus a Guardian article about why there’s such a panic about nativity plays being banned in certain circles. There wasn’t one example of the nativity play actually being banned. I also don’t know any parents who have experienced this in real life.

2. As this is indeed a CHRISTIAN country on paper, it happens to have thousands of churches. Anyone desperate to see their child in the nativity play could easily get involved with their parish church so that their children can be part of that one. They could learn all they like about Christianity then, from the experts no less.

AIBU to think that this is a non-existent ‘scandal’ spread on social media by people too lazy to check the facts? And that, with church attendances standing at around 2% of the population, these people aren’t bothered enough about their children learning about Christianity to get up early on a Sunday, and really just want a picture of their child looking cute with a tea towel on their head?

It's lies spread by racists and shared by idiots.

My DC's school EYFS are doing a nativity play.

And you are friends with these idiots because?

More and more culture is been wiped out by the pc brigade. It used to be you could wear a crucifix even in prison. Now in jobs they are frowned upon. If it is true it is a shame the navity will no longer be shown.
I worked in a large hospital years ago and there was a petition to get rid of the navity setting at Christmas.

OP - you do realise that people will see the thread title, not bother to open thread, and go round telling others that nativity plays are being banned as they've read it on MN?

in our school only nursery and reception do nativity. hardly any of the kids are christian, it goes under tradition rather than religion. other year groups do musicals anyway.

YANBU OP. Though it might be a bit odd if a school that had majority Muslim kids were to choose a nativity for their end of term play.

We're atheist and one of DC currently withdrawn from religious observances in school (at their request, other DC also thoroughly cynical and finds it tedious but doesn't like being singled out). Can't get worked up about nativity one way or other. It's just a story as long as it's not presented as more. No more assumption it's real than the play they did the year before was inciting the children to believe in talking snowmen.

It's out of the same stable as the "renaming Christmas Winterval" stories. Utter crap.
Mind you, our preschool managed to do a nativity play in which the words "God" and "Jesus" did not feature once, in order not to offend anyone, so there is a definite nervousness around the issue in some quarters.

Personally I feel church and school shouldn't mix - how can you give a child an objective view on the world if viewed through the prism of one religious belief? I'm all for RE as part of learning about citizenship and PSE but wouldn't have a problem with no nativity play. There are literally millions of other subjects for a play that teach high morals via a great story. If a family are so Christian they can go to church and teach those values at home. That said I wouldn't advocate banning nativities either.

Oooh. I love good Britain's First fake news.
It's like an IQ test, but public

It's absolute bullshit made up by Britain First type organisations to stir up racial hatred and anyone who shares this stuff is thick as shit. Nativity plays are not banned in schools and never have been. In my DCs school several non-Christian children were in the nativity play last year, even those who don't celebrate Christmas. It's the same people who would have you believe that Muslims are offended by poppies, which is also bollocks.

This rumor has been doing the rounds since before the dawn of social media, but obviously has ramped up among hun types who absolutely refuse to engage brain before sharing things they havent actually read/ checked along with an angry/ upset comment...

Agree @CoughLaughFart should ask MN to edit the thread title because of exactly those people - the ones who'll see the thread title and unconsciously add the "knowledge" that the title is fact to their brains, to regurgitate later.

Well...in fact we’ve had no nativity plays in Scotland - so it does seem to be tacitly banned because it would attract criticism to teachers. We’ve had songs about special trees, plays about the ice melting but nothing like a nativity in 4 years of primary so far.

I was in Asda the other day and they already have rails and rails of nativity costumes at the ready and if previous years are anything to go by they'll be sold it in a few weeks!

It makes me laugh whenever I see anyone I know from my area sharing this sort of thing on FB, in our area nearly all of the village schools are CofE. Not only do all of these schools do a nativity play but so do most of the pre-schools and a lot of our local farm parks and visitor attractions. Come December we wont be able to move around here for nativity plays!

We’ve also had 4 years of ‘carol’ services where only last year (year 4) were there any actual carols. I don’t have any particular faith but I don’t really understand why we can’t tell the Christmas story and just get rubbish about snowmen (when it never snows) and Father Christmas (who also doesn’t exist)

DS1 is in Year 2, and his year group is doing a nativity play this year.

We haven’t been told much about the play officially - such as which day they’re doing it! - but he’s already brought home the page of the play with his line on to practice at home. I can tell from the references to baby Jesus on just that page that it’s a nativity play.

Haven’t heard anything about what Reception are doing yet, but in the last 3 years, their end of year play was a nativity play, so there’s a fair chance this one will be too.

Its all bollocks dreamt up by idiots trying to stir up hatred and division.

Just like the poppy hasn’t been banned, Christmas lights haven’t been banned and all the other shit them come out with

Just unfollowed a acquaintance on Facebook for constantly sharing this type of rubbish on Facebook.

My daughter has just started school and they are doing a nativity at Christmas (it is a CofE school) but another lady in my choir teaches at a school in a majority Muslim area and they do a less traditional nativity but still teach the kids about Christmas so it is mostly rubbish.

We get a nativity play every year in my kids primary (except when they had building work so had a concert instead). Half the kids are from non-Christian backgrounds so there's a lot of 'Jesus was a very special baby' rather than 'son of god' , and a large school so each class gets a scene - which means 20 Marys, Josephs and zillions of magi...

These type of froth-inducing “stories” have been doing the rounds for years. Along with “Facebook av baned the popy sher dis post if you think it’s a discgrase” posts.

I solve it by deleting and blocking people who share such shite. My friends list is short but there are no out and out idiots on there any longer.

I would say I live in a region of Europe where the majority of the population are practicing Catholics, there are disturbingly graphic crusifixes and statues of the virgin Mary absolutely everywhere, the church is into everything and nobody seems to really care about offending people ... There have never been nativity plays in schools here. Christmas is more quiet reflection and less 4 year olds with tea towels on their heads and over engaged parents getting irate about nepotistic casting decisions for role of unmarried teen giving birth watched by livestock...

Every school in my borough has a nativity for reception and year 1 classes. Then they do plays about Christmas going up the rest of the school, church services etc.

When my dc were at primary school everyone took part, regardless of religious beliefs. No “up in arms” parents to be found.

This nativity ban rubbish, It’s such utter bollocks churned out by the sort of people who frequently say “pc brigade” and “it’s Pc gone mad”. Racists, that’s the word for them.

I agree with RayRayBidet. Spread by racists and shared by idiots.

Our school does an early years and KS1 nativity. The older kids put on a musical. We're an inclusive and diverse primary and never have I heard of anyone banning, or wanting to ban, the nativity play.

emeraldshamrock anyone who wishes to wear a crucifix in prison is perfectly welcome to. Many prisoners wear rosaries, and they are sold on the prison canteen list. Prison staff shouldnt wear jewellery at work (imho) but they wear crosses, crucifixes, stars of David, Muslim symbols... everything. I wonder why you suggested this is not allowed in prison.

The nativity play is not "banned in schools", although someschools choose not to do one for a variety of reasons, the paucity of parts for 30+ children being just one of them.

Tell your friends who shared this twaddle to hang out on MN for a few weeks soon and they'll see the annual flood of AIBUs about allocation of star parts, parental seating arrangements, restriction of tickets etc. Nativity is still going pretty strong.