The headmistress of Littleton Green Community School, in Huntington, Staffordshire, wrote to parents telling them about the school trip to the Explore Islam workshop at Staffordshire University next week. They were told the Years Four and Six children would be looking at religious artefacts on their visit – and threatened with being labelled as racists ‘throughout their school career’ if they did not go.
Parents today accused a primary school of trying to ‘blackmail’ them after they were told their children would be marked down for racial discrimination if they did not attend a workshop on Islam.
The headmistress of Littleton Green Community School, in Huntington, Staffordshire, wrote to parents telling them about the school trip to the Explore Islam workshop at Staffordshire University next week.
They were told the Years Four and Six children would be looking at religious artefacts on their visit – and threatened with being labelled as racists ‘throughout their school career’ if they did not go.
Littleton Green head Lynn Small wrote to parents and carers of children at the school on Wednesday, saying the visit was organised to fulfil the part of the national curriculum requirement that children ‘experience and learn about different cultures’.
She said the trip would give pupils time to ‘explore other religions’ and said they would be looking at exhibits ‘similar to those in a museum’.
But the letter said: ‘Refusal to allow your child to attend this trip will result in a Racial Discrimination note being attached to your child’s education record, which will remain on this file throughout their school career.’
It went on: ‘All absences on this day will be investigated for their credibility and will only be sanctioned with a GP sick note.’
Today angry parents criticised the school’s ‘ludicrous’ threats and accused Mrs Small of attempting to ‘blackmail’ them into sending their children on the trip, which they have been asked to pay £5 a head for.
Mother Gillian Claridge, 55, said: ‘How dare they threaten to brand the children racist at such a young age? It’s going to make them feel like little criminals.
‘The very nature of religion is all about choice – on this occasion they were not being given any choice at all.
‘It was draconian move and it has left a lot of parents fuming.’
Mother-of-four Tracy Ward said: ‘I was shocked by the letter. To be told my kids have got to attend this workshop is disgusting.
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