XMAS CANCELLED

Anger as school claims season is too commercial

A SCHOOL has sparked festive fury by telling children: “Christmas is cancelled!”

Staff say they want to teach children a lesson about the true meaning of Christmas.

RE teacher Chris Paul told pupils at Lady Lumley’s school in Pickering, North Yorks, that festivities had become “too commercial”.

During assembly, a man dressed as Santa told the pupils that Christmas was “lost under an avalanche of commercialisation”.

He then announced that the traditional festivities such as cards and gifts were banned unless the pupils put forward some “persuasive arguments”.

The secondary school pupils have until next Friday to email Mrs Paul with good reasons to bring back the festive season.

One parent tweeted: “I understand the way the RE teacher is trying to

FESTIVE BAN: School educate the kids, but it’s the way the kids have been told, mine came in upset.”

Another Twitter user wrote: “What’s all this about kids not being able to celebrate Christmas?? Is this a p***take or what!?!” However, some parents praised the school’s shock tactic.

Alison Wilson said: “This actually sounds like quite a good exercise, getting everyone to think about what Christmas really is.”

Fellow parent Lisa Perry added: “This is a brilliant idea. A very clever way of teaching the meaning of Christmas.”

Headteacher Richard Bramley said the ban is to make pupils “step back” to ponder whether Christmas is too commercial.

The Star Says: Page 6