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15th December 2024
05:13pm GMT
A vicar who was invited to speak to primary school children in Hampshire about the birth of Jesus has enraged parents after he revealed to their kids that Santa Claus isn't real.
Some pupils at Lee-on-the-Solent Junior School near Portsmouth were brought to tears when Rev Dr Paul Chamberlain took the opportunity to deliver some home truths about Christmas to the group of ten and eleven-year-olds.
Along with the revelation that Father Christmas is fictional, the local vicar also explained to the children that their parents bought their presents and ate the biscuits left out on Christmas Eve.
The Times reports that some of the parents have since complained, with the school issuing an apology over the “error of judgement”.
One irate parent said the school could not “bring the magic back”, telling the paper: "I don’t know how it can be undone, but I think it’s absolutely disgusting.
"It’s been difficult, really difficult because she’s a very bright little girl," they added. "So we’re just going to try and just push as much magic into this as we can."
Another said: “Lots of children started crying in class. Mine was upset but she still believes so I’m quite lucky she’s still not believing him and she thinks he’s lost the plot.
“I think it’s wrong, but a lot of parents have had to confess to their child.”
Teachers have since written to parents to apologise, saying that “all stories and legends around Christmas are legitimate”.
The vicar at the local St Faith’s Church has also sent a note to the children to apologise.
A spokesman for the Diocese of Portsmouth told The Times: “We understand that the vicar of St Faith’s, Lee-on-the-Solent, the Rev Paul Chamberlain, was leading an RE lesson for ten and eleven-year-olds at Lee-on-the-Solent Junior School. After talking about the Nativity story from the Bible, he made some comments about the existence of Father Christmas.
“Paul has accepted that this was an error of judgment and he should not have done so. He apologised unreservedly to the school, to the parents and to the children, and the headteacher immediately wrote to all parents to explain this.
“The school and diocese have worked together to address this issue, and the headteacher has now written to parents a second time, sending them Paul’s apology.”
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