COLUMN: Decision to ban holidays right move


Anne Foley, the principal at Kennedy Elementary School in Somerville, Mass., has come under fire from parents, students and politicians after banning the celebration of three fall holidays, Columbus Day, Halloween and Thanksgiving, in her school.

Foley claims Columbus Day and Thanksgiving are insensitive to American Indians and the connections to witchcraft make Halloween inappropriate to celebrate in her school.

She has instructed teachers not to celebrate the holidays in their classrooms and not let students dress up for Halloween.

One student told reporters, “I think that it’s kind of ridiculous because we should celebrate what we want to celebrate. We shouldn’t be told what we shouldn’t by other people,” and Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown tweeted, “Let’s not take political correctness to the extreme. Let the kids in Somerville enjoy Halloween.”

With the exception of Columbus Day, Halloween and Thanksgiving have largely lost their original connotations, and from a political correctness standpoint, there is really not much harm in letting kids celebrate the holidays in schools.

Ultimately, the decision is up to the principal though, and if she wants to ban the holidays, that is her choice.

Children are in school to learn, not to have costume parties and celebrate holidays. Instead of wasting a day celebrating these holidays, is it not more beneficial for students to actually be doing what they are supposed to while they are at school — learning?

While the ban may be over the top, the reaction by parents opposing the ban is even more ridiculous. One parent told the local news station, “The children, they need to express themselves and be children. Don’t take holidays and fun time away from them. They have so much homework. They don’t have enough play time.”

Is this what our education system has become? School is not about “play time.” Play time is what happens when kids are out of school, and there is nothing stopping the kids from celebrating the holidays on their own time.

Foley’s reasoning is largely flawed, but the outcome from her decision is a good one. Students will spend the day learning, doing what they are supposed to be doing at school.

Parents should set a good example for their kids and embrace the fact that they will be learning.

With all of the problems plaguing the school systems in America, returning to an emphasis on learning is exactly what we need to get schools back on track, and if that means limiting the number of parties and holidays that are celebrated in school, then this will ultimately do more good than harm.

Editor's note: Nathan Inks is the current president of College Republicans.

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