5 year old told not to mention Jesus in school

[norabee]

Hi everyone

I’m looking for some advice from fellow Catholics (or anyone really) because I’m feeling a little emotional about this and I’m afraid of doing the wrong thing.

My 5 year old goes to a private non Catholic school which we have been very happy with. (Why she is not yet in Catholic school is a long story but we plan for her to attend one in time for her first communion.) However today she came home from school and told me that during a class discussion of MLK day she mentioned Three Kings Day and her teacher told her she couldn’t talk about that at school. The teacher said (according to my child) that they don’t talk about Jesus at school. And a child who brought a miniature Bible to school today for show and tell was told she couldn’t bring that to school.

I am very surprised by this. My daughter is very religious (wants to be a nun) and this can’t possibly be the first time she’s mentioned Jesus. I am wondering if another parent complained.

What should I do? Obviously I need to talk to the teacher. My husbands wants to transfer her to Catholic school instantly. I want to get to the bottom of why this is suddenly an issue and make a case for freedom of religious expression!

Has anybody dealt with this who can offer advice? I’m dreading speaking to the teacher about this although I absolutely will.

 

[zz912]

Well certainly bring it up with the school and share your disappointment with them over the issue. But first make sure you got the whole story. Make sure it wasn’t an issue of the teacher not wanting to get sidetracked and wanting to keep discussing MLK.

But yes, you are the customer and you should make your feelings known on the issue to the school.

As to the issue of freedom of religious expression, you have no basis. It is a private school, and as such, has the freedom and right to express and reject any religion they deem appropriate. You have the freedom to send your child there, or not. Otherwise, atheists could enroll their children into Catholic schools and sue to get Catholicism eliminated from the school!!!

 

[norabee]

Good point… maybe getting off topic was part of the issue. I will certainly ask.

I didn’t mean make a LEGAL case for freedom of expression–I have no interest in that! (Although I would assume we retain some of our constitutional rights even in private institituions.) I just hope to persuade her that an outright ban on Jesus is too extreme.

 

[Rence]

I would immediately remove her from that school and send her to a Catholic school.

You can ask her teacher what the story was, but in the end, you’ll probably be disappointed if this is a non-catholic private school.

 

[cmscms]

In Canada, a lot of public schools forbid children from saying Merry Christmas because it makes the immigrants that tend to be of other religions uncomfortable. It makes me sick to think the freedom of speech does not belong to Catholics. Unfortunately, I think to fight this is a loosing battle.

On the other hand, Jesus always said it won’t be easy to follow him so this is to be expected. I admire your desire to deal with it positively. I have no kids but when I hear these things I secretly dream of going to the school and pumping the kids up and telling them to make Catholic statements. I know that would be a totally uncatholic thing to do.

My point is, I admire you for wanting to do what’s right

CM

 

[zz912]

(Although I would assume we retain some of our constitutional rights even in private institituions.)

No, not really. Our constitutional rights are there to protect us from government. Private institutions and businesses are free to exclude whatever they want. Really the only legal limits are on protected status issues, such as excluding people based on race, ethnicity, etc.

You have the right to exercise your constitutional rights on your property or public areas. You don’t have the right to exercise them on other peoples’ property. Of course the beauty is, that you also have the right to leave the school, or ignore those you don’t want to listen to.