Issue 40 • January 2019 • Record of Michaelmas Term 2018
THE
OCELLUS From the Headmaster
Some of you may have seen back in December the news reports of the Yorkshire school that ‘banned Christmas’. Of course the school did no such thing. It all stemmed from an RE teacher who wanted pupils to think more about the meaning of the holiday, and the presents they would soon enjoy. She announced mischievously, at an assembly, that the school would suspend Christmas celebrations unless the pupils could show they understood that it is more than a commercial conspiracy to impoverish parents. But many parents were indignant and wrote angry letters, local newspaper coverage was quickly overtaken by reports even in The Times and the BBC about Scrooge and political correctness. But, what the teacher actually wanted was to highlight the importance of Christmas, as primarily a Christian celebration, and one with evergreen messages about peace, and goodwill to all people. One feels the irony of that must have been lost on many of those who were outraged. I would rather hope that most people of goodwill will have welcomed the teacher’s intent. We know how important Christmas is to shops and manufacturers, and how much we rely on their success for jobs and the survival of our High Streets. But if you take away everything that associates it with its religious roots, what is left is hollow and shallow. It will be a great consolation to teachers to know that the children of that Yorkshire school, at least, knew what their teacher intended and embraced the challenge. In doing so, they will have gained a better understanding of the message of the angels, the plight of the poor and exiles and the real value of giving and receiving. Unless she is bruised by the response, I would not be surprised to hear that the RE teacher sets new challenges in the coming year, to discover the meaning of the Jewish festival of Pesach, for example, the significance of Ramadan for Muslims, and why Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Buddhist and Sikhs alike. That way they will also come to understand more fully that our peaceful future depends on a willingness for people to value each other, and a tolerance that works both ways.
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Front Page Photo: The Cokethorpe Plinth during War and Peace Week