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1. 2 grunter says:
   February 2nd, 2009 at 6:03 am

   They have a whole lifetime of liberal guilt and slavery to look forward to but that’s not enough for some teachers. They want to take it all.

2. 1 arah says:
   November 18th, 2008 at 8:08 pm

   ‘Santa Claus does not exist’ school tells stunned kids

   Santa Claus is exposed as a fraud as he pretends to deliver presents
   on Christmas Eve

   A primary school has been accused of spoiling Christmas for pupils
   after a lesson telling them that Santa Claus does not exist.

   Children as young as nine were told that only ’small children believe
   in Father Christmas’.

   And yesterday their parents criticised teachers for taking the
   ‘magic’
   out of the festive period.

   The blunder came after the Year 5 pupils were given seasonal
   worksheets containing various festive classroom exercises.

   One began by informing the children that ‘many small children believe
   in Father Christmas’.

   It then went on to explain that thousands of letters sent by these
   children to Santa every year are actually answered by the Post
   Office.

   The youngsters were then asked to write a pretend letter from the
   Post
   Office to a child explaining why their requests for presents had been
   refused.

   Now Ladysmith Junior School in Exeter, Devon, is accused of taking a
   decision that should have been made by the parents themselves.

   One father-of-two, who asked not to be named, said: “My wife and I
   make a special effort to keep the belief in Santa in our daughter’s
   mind as we believe it adds to the magic of Christmas for her and her
   four-year-old brother.

   “We even recall her shaking with excitement some years ago when sat
   at
   the bottom of our bed rummaging through her stocking.

   “What gives the school the right to decide when children should know
   the truth about such a harmless matter when knowing the truth does
   take away that little bit of magic?”

   “She’ll probably figure it out soon enough anyway, but we might have
   had one last Christmas without her knowing if it hadn’t been for the
   school.”

   Yesterday the headmistress of the 460-pupil school said she had
   written to families to apologise and assured them the lesson will not
   be taught again.

   Jackie Jackson said: “Having three children myself, I understand how
   parents feel.

   “The last thing we wanted to do was take away the positive and
   magical
   side of Christmas and I have wished all the families a happy time.”

   She continued: “We can’t go back and undo this but I have written to
   all the families to apologise. It was very unfortunate and a bad
   mistake. We are not in the business of shattering children’s dreams.”

   Yesterday a spokesman for the Royal Mail confirmed it receives around
   750,000 letters for Father Christmas from children around the UK
   every
   year.

   He said: “They are all forwarded to Santa and we also send a special
   reply.”

   The worksheet was taken from the Internet and created by educational
   charity, the Hamilton Trust.

   Yesterday the trust’s director Ruth Merttens, defended the content.

   She said: “I feel sorry for the teacher concerned.

   “But we produce the worksheets and it is up to teachers how they use
   them in class.”

   She added: “I don’t want to upset anybody but I would say by the age
   of ten it seems unlikely that a child wouldn’t be aware of Santa’s
   imaginary nature.”

   Last week a primary school teacher was sacked for telling her young
   class that Santa does not exist.

   The supply teacher apparently decided the pupils - some as young as
   nine - were too old to believe in Father Christmas.

   The teacher, who has not been named, is believed to have told the
   class at Boldmere Junior School, in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands:
   “All of you are old enough to know there is no Father Christmas or
   fairies.

   If you ask your parents to tell you they will say there is no such
   thing.

   Amanda Piovesana, whose daughter is in Year 5, said: “I am upset
   because it has taken away a magical part of Christmas for my daughter
   and a teacher should not have the right to do that. My little girl
   was
   very upset.”

   At yet another school, pupils went home in tears after being told
   Father Christmas does not exist by a teacher who was telling a class
   of nine-year-olds how Christmas is celebrated across the world.

   Angry parents at Calcot Junior School in Berkshire said the teacher
   had ‘ruined’ Christmas for their children.

   Mel Barefield, whose son was in the lesson, said: ‘The teacher had
   said to them that Father Christmas wasn’t real, Rudolph was a cartoon
   character and that Christmas trees come from Germany.’

   A governor said: ‘It’s not just Father Christmas that’s the problem.
   We also have issues with things like the Tooth Fairy.

   ‘From now on when a child asks if Father Christmas exists the teacher
   should say, “I’m not sure. Go home and ask your parents”‘.

   Rachel McGauley, 29, whose eight-year-old daughter Shannon is in Year
   4 at the school, said: “It is very bad.

   “As parents it is for us to decide when we tell our children and some
   of the parents in that class could have got away with it for another
   year and now they can’t.

   “I just hope my little girl does not twig because she is in the year
   below.”

   Sam Horne, whose children Keiron, eight, and six-year-old Charlotte
   attend the school,said: “Mine still believe in Father Christmas, and
   when I was a kid I did not find out until I was about eleven.

   “It is like a loss of innocence. Children should have the right to
   stay innocent for as long as possible.”

   In a statement issued through the local Education Authority, Devon
   County Council, head Mrs Jackie Jackson added: “The choice of this
   worksheet was a genuine mistake by a teacher which we are all very
   sad
   about.

   “As a school we delight in the magic of childhood and believe that
   Christmas is a very special time.

   “In the last week the children have been enjoying carol singing and a
   Christmas fair and, in the true spirit of the season, raising money
   for children at the Ugandan school which we support.

   I have apologised to the parents and this worksheet will never be
   used
   in the school again.”

   ——
   M&A
   Artemis
   This is a news site, and the lengthy article from the Evening Standard which you have copied was published on 20th December 2006. It’s a bit old, as well as unoriginal.

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