Perhaps it’s time to move forward on holidays

Some older Canadians may lament the way things have changed in our public schools. The days of Christmas concerts are long past, and in their place are “holiday concerts” and other, generic events launched in the name of inclusivity and consideration of a broader range of religious and cultural backgrounds.

It was a good change. The public school system, belonging to everyone, should not be catering to any one particular group. However, the change was not universal or holistic, and schools have adjusted to these changes, perhaps, too gradually.

Consider the case of Sage Creek School. The Louis Riel School Division school has provoked some ire by choosing not to have students create Mother’s Day crafts, instead opting to have students make gifts for “parents” in general, timed with the International Day of Families on May 15.

This isn’t the first time this discussion has come up, as schools have wrestled to navigate a changing world and adjust their class programming accordingly.

The school’s decision is well-intentioned. There are many different kinds of families, including those where there is no “mother” figure. Parents, however, are frustrated. Some who spoke to the Free Press said they supported schools celebrating more, not fewer, special occasions. Others wanted more parent input. Another, Marty Draper, said this effort by the school is unlikely to succeed in preventing distress in children who aren’t from traditional families.

All decent points. But atop those, let’s add this one. Why do schools continue to feel responsible for leading students in holiday-centric activities in the first place?

One supposes it makes for easy programming to lead students, especially very young ones, in arts and crafts or other activities centred around a familiar occasion. And parents will tell you that rediscovering a battered grade school macaroni-art card from your child in a dusty basement cardboard box can bring an absolutely unexpected frisson of happiness.

But in an increasingly diverse and complex world, it is probably time to just shut down the whole idea.

Between religious holidays of all stripes, civic holidays, days commemorating historic events, and so-called “greeting card holidays” such as Valentine’s and yes, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, there are dozens of different special occasions circled on calendars across the country.

Canada has five statutory national holidays and seven federal holidays. Manitoba has three provincial statutory holidays, as well as non-statutory ones such as Boxing Day. And that is without getting into the particular holidays which break up the year for the myriad cultures and religions of which modern Canada is comprised.

Schools have never tried to account for all of them in the in-classroom work. Since not everything can (or should) be included, perhaps it would be best to leave all of it behind.

That may irk some Manitobans who are happy to see different holidays and teachings featured in public schools.

However, it has become apparent with each new controversy and with each gripe-filled holiday concert season that a wishy-washy approach to the issue is fundamentally failing to include everyone and breeding resentment, even among those who were not already grinding an axe over the issue.

It would be nice for everyone to be recognized through school activities. But it can’t be done. So the only fair thing to do is make sure everyone gets the same amount of nothing, as hard as it is to say.

Leave it to families to decide how to mark their holidays or show appreciation for one another on their own time, in their own way, whatever that may be.