I recently wrote a story about how two schools in Preston were ditching the traditional nativity in favour of Shakespeare and the Wizard of Oz. It was pretty similar to a lot of the stuff that has been popping up in the media over the last three weeks.
I tried to give a balanced view, but I think a lot of papers have gone overboard with the whole issue. “Who killed the nativity play?” asks the Daily Mail… “is this a politically correct step too far?”
I really, really, REALLY hate that phrase. If anyone ever says to you “it’s political correctness gone mad” and they’re being serious, then they are most likely a racist (or a taxi driver).
“School nativity plays under threat” warned the Telegraph. It claimed that just one in five schools were planning to hold a traditional nativity this year.
But what is a traditional nativity? Mary, Joseph, three shepherds, three kings/wise men, a donkey etc etc… How very dull. I don’t think parents should be forced to sit through the same old tripe year on year.
If schools want to add Ralph the Reindeer, a hapless camel or the Whoops-a-Daisy Angel into the mix then I think they should. These modern nativities aren’t written to secularise Christmas – they’re written to add a bit of fun to an all too familiar story.
Of all the schools I contacted in Preston (about 25 before I got bored of asking what they were having for their Christmas dinner) all were holding some kind of nativity or Christmas service. Even the Wizard of Oz school and the Shakespeare school were holding separate Christmas celebrations.
In the brief time I was in school, I presided over Eid, Divali and Christmas. All the kids joined in with all the celebrations. The meaning of all of these different festivals mustn’t be lost admidst the chaos of musical chairs and pass the parcel, but if we don’t make Christmas fun the what chance do we have of getting the message across?
EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDU... 