A primary school has cancelled its Christmas nativity in favour of Muslim festival of Eid celebrations because it would be too much for the children to do both.
By Nick Britten
Greenwood Junior School sent out a letter to http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=4160 children would be off school.
That meant planning for the traditional http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=6132 side by side.
The move has left parents furious.
Janette Lynch, whose seven-year-old son Keanu attends the school, in Sneinton, Nottingham, said: “The head has a whole year to plan for Eid and so she should be able to plan for both religious festivals.
“I have never heard of this at a school. It is the first year my son has been there and a lot of the mums like me were really looking forward to seeing the children in the nativity.”
She said a letter, sent from “The staff at Greenwood Junior School’, said: “It is with much regret that we have had to cancel this year’s Christmas performances. This is due to the Eid celebrations that take place next week and its effect on our performers.”The school is to hold a number of children’s Eid activities for those pupils who do not take two days off to celebrate with their families.
Following outrage from parents, the school was forced to send out a second letter saying that the Christmas play would be done in January.
Sent by the head teacher, Amber Latif, and Yvonne Wright, chair of governors, it apologised for “any misunderstanding” but said it had to respect “the cultures and religions of all the children”.
It added: “The Christmas performance has not been cancelled outright but has been postponed until the New Year.”