SO WHY CAN’T YOU WATCH A SCHOOL NATIVITY PLAY?
A BAN on Nativity plays in Scotland’s schools is ‘illogical and unfair’ and should be urgently overturned, it was claimed last night.
Nicola Sturgeon’s Government was accused of waging ‘war on Christmas’ by keeping strict coronavirus restrictions in place in school buildings.
It means parents are unable to watch their children perform in festive plays, but busloads of youngsters can still attend packed pantomimes in theatres.
SNP ministers were also accused of hypocrisy as many posted pictures of themselves attending large indoor gatherings.
Under updated Scottish Government guidance, schools are banned from holding ‘assemblies and other types of large group gatherings’, with Nativity plays and Christmas shows cancelled by teachers.
Officials insist the rules do not prevent parents from viewing events ‘remotely’ but critics have warned the restrictions could have a serious impact on mental health.
And a senior doctor has claimed children are being used as ‘scapegoats’ for governments to enforce restrictions – despite no proof they are helping – while parents and other adults can still attend Christmas parties or nights out.
Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland, Conservative MSP Jeremy Balfour said: ‘I think the Scottish Government are going down the wrong road on this, I think we
‘Scottish Government are calling war on Xmas’
should be allowing parents to go to watch the Christmas show, to watch the Nativity play. Why can’t 20, 30 parents gather in a school to watch a Nativity play?
‘It seems to me illogical and it seems to me that there’s no evidence that this is going to cause harm to children or adults.’
He added: ‘I think actually the Scottish Government are calling a war on Christmas, I think this is being led in an inappropriate way and is actually going to impact the mental health of children and adults.’
Miss Sturgeon told Holyrood this week that she hopes ‘children like the rest of us will have a much, much more normal Christmas than was the case last year’. But she insisted the fun must be done ‘safely’, with restrictions remaining under review.
The ban on school events comes despite the removal of most coronavirus restrictions in Scotland – with large-scale events allowed to go ahead. This includes rugby matches at Murrayfield Stadium with up to 67,000 fans attending.
Indoor plays and concerts have also been given the go-ahead, with many scheduled for the coming weeks – including Gary Barlow, Tom Jones and Amy Macdonald appearing at the Ovo Hydro in Glasgow. The venue’s capacity is more than 14,000.
Images have also appeared on social media showing ministers and officials attending other largescale events such as football and rugby matches, and concerts.
National clinical director Jason Leitch sparked fury after posting an image of himself at a graduation for ‘hundreds’ of students in a packed concert hall.
Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: ‘There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to what the Government allows. If 67,000 people can go to the rugby safely then it cannot be beyond the wit of Scottish ministers to let Nativity plays have a small audience. I think that any parent would be happy to take a lateral flow test if it means they could be there to make a special memory with their child.
‘If you try to enforce rules that are obviously daft, then all it does is make people take less care on the really important stuff.’
This month, 25,000 people gathered for the two-week Cop26 summit in Glasgow, with Miss Sturgeon and other senior Scottish Government officials attending.
Dr Ellie Cannon, a GP from London, yesterday warned against making children ‘bear the brunt’ of restrictions.
She told BBC Radio Five Live: ‘Kids have become an easy scapegoat, an easy win for these interventions that seem like a good idea but may actually not be. Kids bear the brunt of these restrictions when the rest of us are going out doing our Christmas shopping with thousands of people and going to work.’
She added: ‘It’s all very well saying let’s do this, let’s do that, let’s cancel the Christmas play. You have to ask are these measures actually effective? Let’s actually do what we know is effective.’
The Scottish Conservatives want the ban on Nativity plays to be overturned. Children spokesman Meghan Gallacher said: ‘Young people deserve to enjoy some festive fun after missing out on so many special moments during the
‘Kids bear brunt of these restrictions’