Posted on 12/22/2006 10:49:50 AM PST by John Philoponus
A DISABLED child was told he could be excluded from Christmas activities at his school because his mother did not want him to attend a Hindu event.
Annie Walker says the threat was made after she withdrew seven-year-old Liam from a Diwali celebration at St Anne's Infant School.
Churchgoer Mrs Walker said she did not want Liam, who was starved of oxygen at birth and is quadriplegic, to be involved in a celebration of Hinduism, because she found its theory of reincarnation and Karma offensive as it implies that Liam's disability was punishment for sins in a past life.
But after asking for Liam to be excused, she claims head teacher Mary Ann Hinchcliffe told her in front of her son and other parents that if Liam was taken out of the Diwali event he might not be able to join in lessons about the Nativity.
Mrs Walker said that although the threat was later withdrawn, the damage was done, as Liam had been reduced to tears.
She said: "My son was very upset. I had wanted to withdraw him discreetly from the Diwali day, but the head teacher dealt with it very heavy-handedly by confronting me in the playground.
"We are a Christian family and although I want my children to respect other people and their faiths, at the same time it is not right to push deeply offensive beliefs on people."
Mrs Walker said that after taking advice Ms Hinchcliffe telephoned her to say that Liam would not have to miss the school's gift sharing day, at which pupils learned about the meaning of the Christmas story.
The threat had been based on rules that state that if a parent chooses to withdraw a child from a religious education lesson the child might then be excluded for the rest of the year, Mrs Walker said.
Liam took part in the gift sharing day and Christmas party.
After the Evening Post made inquiries with the city council about the case, Mrs Walker received an apology from Ms Hinchcliffe for any distress caused.
Mrs Walker, who attends the Carmel church in Brislington with her husband Brian and son Tim, 12, said that she wanted her children to have a Christian education and was trying to find a church-based school for Liam that can support his special educational needs.
Mrs Walker said: "Bristol schools are encouraged to be inclusive to people of all beliefs and abilities, but our experience of inclusion has been horrendous."
Ms Hinchcliffe said schools had a duty to teach the principles of all major religions. She added: "In this spirit, we did ask Mrs Walker to reconsider her request to withdraw her son from Diwali celebrations. But we would not prevent a child from enjoying Christmas activities under any circumstances."
Anil Bhanot, the general secretary of the Hindu Council, said he believed Mrs Walker's interpretation of reincarnation was broadly correct, but too simplistic.
He said: "Reincarnation is underpinned by the theory of Karma, which is the law of cause and effect. People say if you do bad things, you will suffer in future life, but that's very crude. In this sort of case, when a child is born disabled, it could be that this is a testing period of some sort for the child. It could also be said that the parents had done something bad previously, but there are many factors."
Notice the teacher only apologized after she knew the press was involved. How sincere is that?!
Diwali was on Oct 21st this year. Why is this story out now? Did the teacher know so little about Diwali that she couldn't even get the date correct?
Thank you! The dates for the Diwali festival don't fall anywhere near Christmas. It's just the schools way of being PC. Look at these dates :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali
According to the pattern on the chart listed at the Wiki page, it looks like Diwali will NEVER fall on or near Christmas. PC sucks @$$.
"when a child is born disabled, it could be that this is a testing period of some sort for the child. It could also be said that the parents had done something bad previously, but there are many factors."
Yup, this is a religion I REALLY want my disabled son exposed to. Thank goodness for homeschooling.
And yes, my kids are taught about other religions. From a Christian perspective.
This is anti-Christian bigotry plain and simple.
I wonder whether non Christian students (read Muslim) were excused from Diwali participation?
Or do Muslims have their own separate schools so not to be contaminated?
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