to keep my kids off school tomorrow when they are not ill?

[Greensleeves]

sorry, I seem to be on a roll tonight with the AIBU threads

I have just had a letter home from school to say that they are closing the school tomorrow afternoon so that everyone can go and see Prince Edward open the new courts and the local army cadets will be there etc - the children will be met by a uniformed officer and walked up to town

We are passionate pacifists and I am really not happy about this (am a school governor and knew nothing about it)

I would LIKE to offer my kids the choice, and I think ds1 at least would probably choose not to go

several of our close friends' children are not going and friends will be writing letters to the school tonight - but they are friends who don't work, and dh and I are both working tomorrow afternoon! I can't ring my boss and say I won't be in because I am withdrawing my children from school on political grounds

I really really don't want them to go though

and at the very least I would like to let them choose (I would let them go if they wanted to)

my head hurts

and please, no outpourings of disgust at the fact that we are pacifists and don't want our children to attend on those grounds.

Well? Waiting to hear what happened here. Come and enliven my dutiful attempt at listening to the leaders' debate.

i dont agree with cheering the armed forces either, but i would have let my two go on the basis that i am atheist, but would encourage them to visit churches and mosques and the like. i would deny them an experience based on my own decision.
the list of horrible things about being in the army and being involved in war far far far outweigh the good, and i'd encourage my children to make their own decision based on this.
if my child had said 'mummy, i dont want to go, i dont feel right cheering' then they woldnt have gone.
but otherwise thats sort of forcing your views on your kids, like religion, isnt it?