A mother has revealed that her seven-year-old child’s religion teacher told him that Father Christmas was not real.
Taking to British parenting platform Mumsnet, the mother claimed her son came home from school and revealed his teacher told him the ‘truth about Santa’.
She claimed her child ‘isn’t one to exaggerate’ and she questioned if it was ‘reasonable’ to tell a seven year old the truth.
Many rushed to the comments with mixed views, as some claimed teachers can’t lie to students if they are asked.
The post read: ‘Is it reasonable for a RE teacher to tell seven year olds that Father Christmas isn’t real?
‘My seven year old dear son has just told me that his RE teacher told the class Father Christmas ‘isn’t real’ today.
‘He isn’t one to over-exaggerate. I asked if any of the kids prompted it by asking and he said no, she just said it.
‘If you think it’s unreasonable, would you say anything to the school? YABU – teachers are fine to say FC is not real at the age of 7
A woman revealed on Mumsnet that her seven year olds religion teacher told him that Father Christmas was not real (stock image)
Some people suggested that teachers can’t lie to children if they are asked difficult questions.
One person wrote: ‘Yes she is right, I expect a couple of the children asked and the teacher could hardly lie. Father Christmas isn’t real!
‘Children can be told about St Nicholas and others from whence the myth originated and it’s fun to pretend but there comes a point where pretending stops.
‘I certainly never believed in the Santa myth when I was seven, I doubt many did. It strikes me that parents get a lot more upset about it than their children.’
Another added: ‘Sorry, but I think 7 is an age when they should probably learn that FC is not real.
‘There have been quite a few discussions on here where people mentioned finding out at later ages and being quite traumatized by being lied to for such a long time.
‘And letting everyone know now, together, as a group – at an age when none of the kids is going to be teased by peers if their reaction in class makes it clear that they believed up until this point – is a way of ensuring that some of the kids don’t get mocked by other kids at 10 or 11 when it gets out that they still believe in FC.
Taking to British parenting platform Mumsnet , the mother claimed her son came home from school to revealed his teacher told him the truth about Santa
Some people suggested that teachers can’t lie to children if they are asked difficult questions
‘I think some of the parents here (especially nowadays? At my school in the 80s, I’m pretty sure everyone knew by 7 or 8 anyway?) are letting this stuff drag on way too long. I don’t think it encourages critical thinking, and it creates the risk of teasing and humiliation at some point.’
Someone else added: ‘Teachers have probably witnessed cases of kids being humiliated by being the one who believes in Santa at 10, and may feel they have a responsibility to prevent this.
‘I think some parents are letting this go on a lot longer than is responsible and are doing it for themselves, not for the kids.’
A fourth said: ‘Complain about what? she said something truthful when she was probably prompted by the topic they were discussing.
‘What did you expect her to say? do you want your kids to respect their teachers and trust them?
‘So a few years down the line when your DS learns the truth he’ll remember his teacher lied about father christmas.
‘He may not trust teachers in the future. WW2? yeah sure it happened the way you said, you also said father christmas was real. Do not complain about that teacher. she’s doing her job ffs.’
Another added: ‘Well he isn’t real. At 7 I didn’t believe in FC. Just the logistics of it. Hope he says the same about any God.’
Someone else said: ‘Numerous psychological studies have proven that the Santa lie is harmful to children’s well being.
‘That it isn’t ‘magic’ to feel all satisfied and smug when they fully believe and trust you. In addition, it is all over the news how archaeologists have found Santa’s tomb, so just like the Wizard of Oz, the curtain has been swept aside.
‘Your RE teacher did you a favour, any upset you feel is from you having to deal with the fallout from lying to your child sooner rather than later. Sooner is always better than later for the child’s mental well-being.’
Many rushed to the comments with mixed views, as some claimed teachers can’t lie to students if they are asked
However others said it was cruel for a teacher to ruin the magic of Santa Clause without the parents permission.
One person said: ‘That is awful. I would be furious if anyone else, let alone a teacher, told my 7 year old that Father Christmas isn’t real. Definitely complain.’
Another said: ‘That’s so mean, but i would tell your DS that father christmas must never have visited her.
‘I would complain though because i would suspect the RE teacher must be a very conservative religious type who is anti FC, and she shouldn’t be forcing her views on others.’
Someone else wrote: ‘That’s awful! It’s a commonly held belief amongst that age group in this country so why on earth anyone would tell them that it categorically isn’t true, I really can’t understand.
‘Even worse form an RE teacher, whose job is to share information about commonly held beliefs and teach tolerance and understanding of how different people can believe in different things.
‘Telling any child what they believe in is untrue at that age is just so unnecessary – some of them believe in tooth fairies, general fairies, unicorns, Spider-Man, whatever!
‘You can just teach them facts about the world without destroying the little bit of magic they experience related to these things, using neutral wording such as ‘well what do you believe?’ If asked, until that child is ready to question for themselves.’
It comes after a vicar has apologised after primary school children were brought to tears when he delivered a sermon explaining how Father Christmas was not real.
Parents accused Rev Dr Paul Chamberlain of ‘ruining’ Christmas after he addressed Year Six pupils from Lee-on-the-Solent Junior School in Hampshire.
The minister, who is a vicar of nearby St Faith’s Church, allegedly told the children, ‘You’re all year six, now let’s be real, Santa isn’t real’, during a talk about the Nativity.
Parents have accused Rev Dr Paul Chamberlain of ‘ruining’ Christmas with his comments about Father Christmas. Pictured is Rev Chamberlain in 2018, with the town’s war memorial
Dr Chamberlain reportedly also told the children that their parents were the ones eating the cookies left out for Santa on Christmas Eve.
The remarks are said to have left children in floods of tears and teachers at the school have been left scrambling to try and bring the magic back.
A complaint has also been lodged against Dr Chamberlain by a parent.
Now, teachers have begun making badges for pupils which read ‘Lee-on-the-Solent believe’, to try and inspire some festive magic.
They also wrote to parents in an email explaining how they have told children that ‘all stories and legends around Christmas’ were legitimate.
One parent said: ‘I don’t know how it can be undone, but I think it’s absolutely disgusting.’
The mother said she was now trying to ‘push as much magic’ over the festive period as possible.
The remarks were made in a talk to pupils at Lee-on-the-Solent Junior School in Hampshire
Another parent told how ‘lots of children started crying in class’ and that it was ‘wrong’ as ‘a lot of parents have had to confess to their child’.
The Reverend has since written to pupils to apologise and is said to have accepted his remarks were ‘an error of judgment’.
A spokesman for the Diocese of Portsmouth told MailOnline: ‘We understand that the vicar of St Faith’s, Lee-on-the-Solent, the Rev Paul Chamberlain, was leading an RE lesson for 10 and 11-year-olds at Lee-on-the-Solent Junior School.
‘After talking about the Nativity story from the Bible, he made some comments about the existence of Father Christmas.
‘Paul has accepted that this was an error of judgment and he should not have done so.
‘He apologised unreservedly to the school, to the parents and the children and the headteacher immediately wrote to all parents to explain this.
‘The school and diocese have worked together to address this issue, and the headteacher has now written to parents a second time, sending them Paul’s apology.’
