The elementary school teacher vilified for telling a class full of 7 and 8-year-olds that Santa doesn’t exist has finally apologized for the epic blunder. Leatrice Ann Eng, 58, called each of the students’ parents with a yuletide mea culpa for her gaffe.
“It’s sad; she was wrong,” said Irene Hoffman, a mother of three students at George W. Miller Elementary School in Nanuet. “This whole thing is being blown out of proportion. I think we should focus on our children’s education, and just move on.”
Eng was in the middle of a lesson about the North Pole on Tuesday when one of her students pointed out that that was where Santa Claus lives. The educator snapped that not only was there no Santa, but their parents are the ones who leave presents under the tree.
7 comments:
On one hand, it's a little strange a teacher is forced to apologise for telling the truth. On the other hand, if she were smart, she would have just said nothing. But really, are teachers expected to give the same courtesy to every myth and superstition the children may have? It's taken for granted that Allah, Jesus and Santa are off limits in these types of situations, but what about fairies or unicorns or the Easter Bunny or some of the more obscure gods? Do they teach these things to prospective teachers?
Well said Insolitus. As a teacher in the States I can tell you that, no, these things are not taught to teachers. Neither is common sense, which cannot be taught but one would hope all good teachers have. This teacher appeared to have had a lapse in it. I can't imagine why anyone would want to be the bearer of that news to a room full of 6 and 7 year-olds.
I figured out Santa was a lie at 6 yrs old. It took me until age 7 to realize that Jesus and other gods were also fantasies.
These children are lucky to have such a brave teacher willing to teach them about reality. Brava! Leatrice Ann Eng! A defender of truth!
What should we ask of our teachers but that they teach our children about the actual nature of the real world?
I can't possibly imagine how adult people can talk about honesty and Santa (positively) at the same time. If I had kids I wouldn't be able to lie to them, and I'm not going to. It's kind of scary to know that so many people are willing to lie to their beloved ones just because "it's a part of being children to believe in Santa" or "That's how it's been for ages".
So those of you who know that Santa is a lie, and that Jesus and God are a lie too. Do you still accept Christmas gifts? I'll bet you're happy to accept the booty aren't you?
I'm an atheist, well strictly a humanist, but I'm a proper one. I'm not hypocritical enough to accept christmas booty. Oh and don't give me that stuff and nonesense about it being a hijacked pagan festival - that still involves gods and presumably you've figured out they're lies too.
That's ridiculous, Gareth. I like giving and receiving gifts, being with my family and enjoying good food together. It would be almost insane to decline from doing that simply because some people do the same thing because of their gods.
Why should a "proper" atheist care whether a custom he or she enjoys - totally without religion or believing in gods - has any religious roots or not?
She was my 5th grade teacher lol
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