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An elementary school in Canada canceled Mother’s Day celebrations in the name of diversity.
KXTV reports staff members at Albert McMahon Elementary School, located in British Columbia, sent home a letter to parents informing them that the students will not be observing Mother’s Day or Father’s Day in school.
The letter claims the move to cancel the two holidays comes from an evaluation of the school’s “core values,” which includes celebrating “diversity, inclusivity.” According to the letter, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day could be alienating to children who come from “non-traditional families”:
As Mother’s Day and Father’s Day approach we have met as a Primary (Grade 1 and 2) team to discuss our core values. In an effort to celebrate diversity, inclusivity and also nurture our students who are part of non-traditional families, we have decided to encourage those celebrations to take place at home. Due to this, the children will not be making gifts at school to give on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. We feel each family knows the best way to celebrate with their own family.
The superintendent for the Mission Public School District, Angus Wilson, said the reason for the cancellation wasn’t political, but because of “trauma.”
Wilson told KXTV, “The reasoning wasn’t some cabal or some political plan.”
“Instead, there has been a recent trauma involving a student and its parents,” he added.
Wilson could not comment on the specific nature of the “trauma.”
According to CBC News, the letter was given to parents and students in grade one and two.
After parental outrage, including a viral post that received over 300 shares on Facebook, Wilson told CBC News there was a problem with how the intent of the letter was communicated.
He told CBC News, “There's a few issues with how this was communicated out.”
“I'm going to be working with the school on how we communicate things home to parents and have an appropriate dialogue with them about things like this,” he said.
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