Teacher telling 7yo that Father Christmas not real

[Peaceandquietandacuppa]

Is it reasonable for a RE teacher to tell 7 year olds that Father Christmas isn’t real?

My 7 year old DS has just told me that his RE teacher told the class Father Christmas “isn’t real” today. He isn’t one to over-exaggerate. I asked if any of the kids prompted it by asking and he said no, she just said it.

If you think it’s unreasonable, would you say anything to the school?

YABU - teachers are fine to say FC is not real at the age of 7

YANBU - let the kids / parents decide if FC is real. Just don’t say anything!

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?!

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.

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

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?

My 13 year old still does

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.

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.

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

Why?
7 is quite old enough to know the truth

How?

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

Do his schoolfriends also believe?

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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)

Exactly.

I'm also think that from an 'RE perspective Senta is not a part of the Christian relgion. There is obviously a historical/mythical root to Santa with Saint Nicholas but it actually a tenuous one. I don't think the RE teacher has a responsibility to consider Sanata as part of a belief system.

However if it is thought generally stating Santa does not exist to young primary children is going to cause upset both to children and parents maybe this has to be codified into policy.

Christmas is an important tradition in this country and I think we all have an obligation to respect it at some level even some of the more strange traditions!

This made me laugh because my 3yo doesn’t believe in Santa or elf on the shelf she’s quite confident they are both pretend no matter what we say

DD is 10, one of the younger ones in year 6 and still believes, her class is half and half, generally it's the ones with older siblings who don't believe.

because it’s not her place? Do not realise how ridiculous you sound?

So, not to teach about Santa then, only other fictional stories.