Don’t blame Father Christmas if he doesn’t allow your child to sit on his knee at a school event — teachers may have banned him from coming into contact with youngsters.
While those playing Father Christmas are no longer required to pass a Criminal Records Bureau check, many schools have decided to “err on the side of caution” and impose rules on grotto behaviour. Parents who have offered to don the red suit have been told they must not allow youngsters to sit on their laps and cannot be left alone with them.
Because CRB checks are required only for volunteers who have regular contact with children, Father Christmases are exempt. However, government guidance states: “Under no circumstances must a volunteer who has not obtained a CRB disclosure … be left unsupervised with children.”
Russell Hobby, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said this meant many of its members had decided it was better if Father Christmases avoided all physical contact with children…
A spokesman for the Department for Education said children could still sit on Father Christmas’s knee as long as parents were consulted and were “completely comfortable” with the situation. “Santas in schools should be treated in the same way that other visitors to the school are managed. Our guidance recommends that for such visitors a member of staff is present,” added the spokesman.
It’s conceivable, you know, that a modicum of care and oversight can be maintained without turning holiday festivities into rituals requiring approval by censors and bluestockings.
Political correctness at its logical conclusion.
Congrats, hippies. You win.
Actually, Joe McCarthy and the Republican Party win – “in god we trust”.
Dems of that era were just as corrupt. They came up with changing War Dept to Dept of Defense earlier than the g_d crap…
Whining about political correctness is a fairly recent phenomenon – mostly from conservatives too lazy to keep up.
Actually, as intellectually lazy as the nanny state types who miss their grandad. Or John McCain.
Matthew 7:15 ESV
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in Santa’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
I think that this is a great way to treat all those mall Santa Clauses, like they were John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer or Jack TheRipper…
They should stop rerunning Miracle on 34 Street and Its a Wonderful Life and those crummy Charlie Brown specials too.
Lets kill all of this fuckin’ commercialized crap and sentimentalized pap.
Conservatives are out of control. This hysteria centers on their obsession with and fear of anything that can seen as sexual.
Yes, be leery of a minor locked in a dark closet describing “sins” to an adult through a peep hole ( son, show me exact the naughty thing you dud to assess punishment ). However, sitting on Santa’s lap in broad view (hands shown of course) is perfectly fine.
Why do conservatives want to ruin Christmas for innocent young children?
Sorry but you are desperately wrong.
Conservatives held a very long lasting leadership over cultural values and associated societal controls. Never ever during that time did such nonsense emerged.
This is Progressive Nanny State control 100%. Some on the Right have fell for it but the leadership is on the firm Left. So, not Conservatives. Progressives who want and need to control our lives all the time. Same people who want State controlled health care. Same people who want State controlled food and energy. Same people who want State controlled everything through massive regulations and taxes. Through social engineering by the power of Law and taxation.
Conservatives want strict Constitutional rights and laws enforced. Progressives want laws enforced as related to social engineering they prefer and rights “evolving” as to the same end. Conservative value is in the neighborhood Santa. Progressive value is in danger in everything and the Nanny State protecting you from it by restricting your rights. So wake up, same forces which restrict drilling to “protect” BS lizard or obstruct solar plants to “save the turtles” are the ones wanting to instill fear of Santa. They thrive on fear mongering and “the solution”. The Government solution. Kind of reminding us to their kin with the “final solution”.
Now go to the “bible belt” and find community that have banned sitting in a Santa lap. Than go to the bureaucratic Progressive wet dream of UK as described in this article…
..Conservatives held a very long lasting leadership over cultural values
Sure, that was then and now is now. Sorry to inform you but the days of William F Buckley are long gone – an intelligent, rational conservative.
Today, the term “Conservative” is effectively a Christian Taliban, wrapped in Wall Street corruption, covered in Fox News syrup, layered with Rush Limbaugh bacon on a stick.
Problem is we live in an analog world where the behavior of the population spans a broad spectrum, usually along the “bell curve”. The fringes of the curve (although rare in number) make headlines because they are the interesting oddities that sell newspapers. Everyone else is “boring”.
When the media reports only the odd behaviors, without qualifying their rarity of occurance, it gives the impression that such behavior is the norm and running rampant.
The sad “logical” conclusion then is to legislate at the worst case scenario level.
Yes, there’s a bear in the woods that could eat you, but it’s not probable. Be cautious, but don’t hide under the bed and take everyone with you.
Nice picture. Definitely using that on this year’s Christmas card.
Censorship and Bluestockings? I don’t think so. Hoomans are just unable to do proper risk assessment and reaction. Its run or fight. No inbetween.
Blame Darwin.
Why not. Of course he had nothing to do with it but since when did that matter.
Oh Do-ill==you are such a card. Could you ask the moderators to send me your email address so I can send you a Card this year? Card for a card sort of thing.
You really have me. Can’t tell if you are this pin headed or this clever. When in doubt, I say give the knuckle dragger a new pair of gloves: yes, I will assume your have the rudiments of science and composition.
No such charity for that crude metaphorist Animby. Imagine utilizing candy canes like that. I think I need one just on contemplation. Make that a Baileys?
It saddens me to see all the wonders of childhood disappearing. I have great memories of my times with Santa. And the candy canes helped get rid of the taste afterwards.
At the age of 5 I learned that Santa does not exist. No loss there.
But I do like Santa, the basic premise, and that part of the idea of Santa to me is not lessened just because kids can’t sit on his lap or on his knee.
What Santa can teach could be easily absorbed by all without major physical contact and that is sufficient.
Cursor_
This is a very old controversy. Over the past few decades there have been scandals about pedo santas touching kids. No surprise since mall santas tend to be homeless guys or lowlifes who are more than used to making less than $5,000 a year.