"No Santa'" school teacher axed
By karan1563
@karan1563 (428)
United States
December 13, 2006 9:07am CST
A PRIMARY school sacked a woman teacher for telling heartbroken nine-year-olds there is no Father Christmas.
Parents were furious when tearful youngsters went home saying they had also been taught elves and fairies did not exist either.
The supply teacher, in her 30s, had her contract terminated after complaints to the head. Mum Amanda Piovesana, 30, said her daughter was shocked to be told: “You are old enough to know there is no Santa or fairies. If you ask your parents they will also say there is no such thing.”
Amanda said: “It’s taken away the magic.” The mum of another pupil at Boldmere Junior School in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, said: “Everyone is disgusted.” Head Diane Thomas-Wood confirmed: “We have followed up the matter with the agency.”
3 people like this
52 responses
@reeseyj (906)
• United States
13 Dec 06
I agree she shouldn't have told the kids that but to fire her was harsh. Everyone makes mistakes and teachers are human to.We have teachers molesting and raping our kids and this lady gets fired for saying theres no santa, thats ridiculous, this is the ladies life it's what she does for a living to take that away for something she said. We can have our President cheat on his wife lie under oath about it not only does he become more popular but he keeps his job when he is our countries role model. People are being very petty. The teacher could have been suspended while taking sensitivity classes and displaying a public apology.
@4monsters4me (2569)
• United States
14 Dec 06
I agree. She was wrong but I don't think she should have been fired. That was kind of harsh.
And about the age of believers--every kid stops believing at different ages. Most of the kids in my daughter's 1st grade class still believe. My daughter is on the fence. She is such a smart girl. I think in her head she knows there is no Santa but her heart wants to believe it so badly, lol.
We took a picture with a Santa at Wal-mar the other day and after we were done she leaned over and whispered to me "that wasn't the real Santa". Lol. She said it quiet so her brother and sister wouldn't hear her.
@AlmightyBigfoot888 (553)
• United States
13 Dec 06
i cannot believe that they fired her for simply saying the truth.
i wonder where this took place, since it is obvious "Freedom of Speech" isn't allowed.
i am still debating now whether to tell my nephew the truth or not, whether his parents want me to or not.
1 person likes this
@clownfish (3269)
• United States
13 Dec 06
Hi! I think the ACLU will have a field day with this one!
1 person likes this
@clownfish (3269)
• United States
13 Dec 06
Hi! I know this won't be a popular opinion, but I think the school will have a hard time justifying the firing of this teacher. It wasn't the teacher's idea to perpetrate a HUGE lie against children and not the teacher's responsibility to keep the "secret." Personally I think it's terrible to tell kids that Santa exists when he clearly doesn't. So, whose fault was it, really? Maybe the parents? Come on everyone, take some responsibility here. I'm sure that teacher's contract didn't read: "Never say Santa and fairies aren't real." Come on!
1 person likes this
@foxxeechocolate (525)
• United States
14 Dec 06
that was not the teachers place. When I work with kids and that sort of thing comes up I refuse to say either way it is the families decision.
1 person likes this
@Beautiful_Nightmare (1337)
•
13 Dec 06
I can understand why the parents aren't happy about this as it spoils the whole idea of Christmas for them. Although my neice found out when she was 9, from the other kids in school..., I think as long as they know he's not real by the time there in the last year then that's fine but it's not right for a teacher to broadcast it to the whole of the class. I'm glad she got sacked :)
1 person likes this
@cowboyzfan (718)
• United States
13 Dec 06
Well I think they need to know... They gonna learn that there isn't one, one day...
1 person likes this
@angeliamj (632)
• United States
13 Dec 06
Well as the mom of a very believing 5 year old, I would be furious with this person. First of all it's not anyone's place to take the magic and make believe out of a child's heart. In this day and age there's not much left to believe in. I myself, would have probably been tempted to take this matter into my own hands. You mess with my kid, I'll mess you up. Good riddence to the Grinch!!
@hannarose27 (514)
• United States
13 Dec 06
Parents and family should be the ones to explain about Santa when they feel their child is ready. I would of been furious also if it was my child. I want my children to be able to enjoy all the wounderful magic things about Christmas.This teacher needs to be terminated. When my kids our old enough I will be the one to let them know, I don't want a teacher telling them . Christmas is about family and we should be able to .
@thatcrazyqbanita (3312)
• United States
14 Dec 06
the story disgusts me. i deeply empathize with the teacher. it is so pathetic to hear that people enjoy having their children live in a fantasy land and later having these ideas shatterred
@clownfish (3269)
• United States
14 Dec 06
Amen! Santa doesn't exist, and these parents are acting as if the teacher committed some act of blasphemy or treason! The whole santa thing is a PUBLIC LIE perpetrated against children. It's deception! Why should someone who speaks the truth about it be punished? Next we'll be firing someone who says the easter bunny, the energizer bunny, and frankenstein don't really exist, either!
@edras_2 (299)
• United States
13 Dec 06
I think it's great they fired her!Just because thats her belief she had NO right to impose her beliefs on those children.How awful!Children are in school for an education,not to have their beliefs dashed!If a teacher really believes a child is being abused then I think it's ok for some intervention,but outside of that they need to keep their noses OUT of what parents let their believe.
@SamDontBeStupid (60)
• United States
13 Dec 06
I completely agree! It is not up to the teacher to tell them the truth; it's the parents' jobs.
@katrina21 (116)
• India
13 Dec 06
The teacher was ofcourse wrong. Where beliefs are concerned, everyone has a right to their own. However, at some point of time every child needs to be told, and many guess outright, but these things need to be handled with tact and care.
@texasclassygal (5305)
• United States
13 Dec 06
Something similar happened to my son when he was in First Grade his teacher told him that there was no such thing as Santa and that he was a figment of parent's imagination. I was devastated, he came home crying to me. My problem was it was Los Angeles School District and they did nothing to the teacher for ruining his christmas.
1 person likes this
@Alexanderrp (163)
• United States
14 Dec 06
Wow. That is terrible. What kind of person would have the heart to do that to 9 year-old children? That's just sick. If I were one of the parents, I would be furious. Do you know if the teacher lost her job over that? I sure hope she did. She should really get punished for that.
@juicemilk (2283)
• Australia
14 Dec 06
did you read any of the topic? It says in the heading the teacher was axed, and then in the opening post that her contract was terminated
@saumav (180)
• India
14 Dec 06
Well I do agree tht she shouldn't have told children abt the reality jst now, but I don't think firing her off the job is not a good decision at all. She might have a family and childrens. I just cannot support this decision by the school authority for jst a small decision. I think the guardian over reacted in this situation.
By the way which newspaper fragment is this?
@kataztrophy (1836)
• United States
13 Dec 06
While I can understand a parent telling the child the truth about things such as Santa, I do not understand why why this teacher felt she needed to tell the kids. If she found the kids talking about these things to be annoying, maybe what she could have done was bite her tongue and let the kids enjoy the fantasy.
@kcbabez14 (967)
• United States
13 Dec 06
That was very wrong of that teacher! she has absoultly no right to tell children that.. that is all up to the childrens parents!
@wolflvr (335)
• United States
13 Dec 06
The teacher has no right to tell the children there is no Santa. It should be up to a parent to decide when it is appropriate to tell their child there is no Santa. My son is too smart for his own good and has not believed in Santa since he was 6. I told him that he can't tell other children there is no Santa. That it is a secret that grownups keep and that to some children it means a lot that there is a Santa and they would be upset if they found out he was not real.
@bluuyze (67)
• United States
14 Dec 06
What a cynical evil teacher. It's not for her to decide when the children's innocence should be taken away. I'm glad she lost her contract. I'm very sorry for your child that had to deal with that. Not even for the fact that they were told so young, but I think you should have been the one to do it.
