Emphasize holiday education instead of celebration for a peaceful season.
As school populations in the United States grow increasingly diverse,
the month of December becomes synonymous with another "d" word: Dilemma.
To celebrate Christmas or to not celebrate? Is it appropriate to mix
menorahs with Christmas trees? Where and how does Kwanzaa fit in? What
about the many other ethnic and religious groups represented in our schools?
Are they being left out?
Relax. There's a way to approach the holidays that, if handled correctly,
could bring us all a little closer to peace on earth: Focus not on celebration,
but education. (Isn't that what schools are all about?)
Educating children about the rainbow of holidays celebrated by our population
is not only a way to avoid fireworks (which are really more appropriate
for July), it's a way of teaching children about the history and culture
of the land they live in. Why is celebrating Christmas so entrenched in
our schools? Because we've been doing it for so long -- the founders and
students of the first public schools were overwhelming Christian. How
did that come to be? A lesson in how the pilgrims came here seeking religious
freedom could go a long way in promoting tolerance and harmony. What other
groups came to this country seeking religious freedom? Are there still
immigrants who come for religious reasons today?
Don't forget to get constitutional: What did the founders of our country
do to ensure that religion could never be used as a legal weapon? Why
is it important to separate church and state?
Any lessons on religious holidays should be focused on the factual,
with facts supplied by the teacher, not the students. Asking students
about their customs or religious practices could put a child in an uncomfortable
situation. Just because a child is Jewish doesn't mean she knows the meaning
of Hanukkah, for instance, just as the African-American child may never
have heard of Kwanzaa.
Neither imposing one faith on others nor removing all traces of religion
is the goal. "Neither position makes much sense in a multicultural society,"
says Charles Haynes, executive director of First Liberty Institute at
George Mason University (Education Digest, December 1996). "And
significantly, neither approach has successfully resolved the 'December
dilemma.' What is at stake is far more than a school Nativity pageant
or Christmas concert in December. At issue is an urgent question that
runs through modern experience: How will we live with our deepest differences
in an increasingly pluralistic society?"
One answer to this is Religious
Holidays in Public Schools, guidelines from a coalition of 17 leaders
of religious and education organizations. They recommend workshops for
educators regarding the appropriate place of religious holidays in the
schools. They also advocate developing policies about the treatment of
religious holidays in the curricula and informing parents of those policies.
Haynes, a member of the coalition, suggests asking these five questions
before planning religious holidays in public schools: · Is this activity
designed in any way to either promote or inhibit religion? · How does
this activity serve the academic goals of the course, or the educational
mission of the school? · Will any student or parent be made to feel like
an outsider, not a full member of the community, by this activity? · If
in December: Do I plan activities to teach about religious holidays at
various times of the year or only in December? · Am I prepared to teach
about the religious meaning of this holiday in a way that enriches students'
understanding of history and cultures?
Some educators may argue that their schools are homogeneous, so there's
no need to teach about the holidays of other cultures. Here's a thought
to challenge that thinking: Schools don't teach French to the kids who
already know it.
Other teachers may argue that the celebration is the education. Sandra
Couch, a teacher in Lititz, Penn, wrote to NEA Today (November
1997): "We celebrate Christmas and any other winter holidays, in all their
diversity. With decorations, stories, food and music, we share our traditions
of Santa, the Nativity, the dreidel, Kwanzaa, ski trips or hunting. Even
the most cynical and most stoic students often participate in the festivities.
We divulge insights about ourselves and encourage understanding and tolerance.
"Our traditions and rituals shape who we are as a people and a society.
So the more we know, understand and respect each other's rituals, the
greater our chances of living in harmony."
Books:
- Celebrations
Around the World, by Carole Angell (Fulcrum Publishing, 1996) Written
by a teacher for elementary and middle school teachers, with classroom
activities.
- Festivals of Lights, a hands-on activity book that covers nine
cultures and seven holidays (available for $10 from the Children's Museum
in Seattle, phone 206-441-1768).
Whether purely educational, or partly celebrational, a world of learning
awaits explorers of our many holidays and traditions. Here's some help
to keep the season educational -- and fun!
- Don't miss Education World's December
Holidays archive page. There you will find dozens of ideas for teaching
about the holidays as well as craft activities, resources, and more.
Article by Colleen Newquist
Education World®
Copyright © 2004 Education World
Originally Published 12/01/1997
Links last updated 12/13/04
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