Words from the web
Several Pennsylvania school districts have cancelled Halloween celebrations for their students, citing a variety of reasons ranging from concerns for safety, loss of instructional time and church and state issues. Are officials in these school districts overreacting or are they doing the right thing? Should Halloween be celebrated in our schools?
“Wow, it is only a fun dress up day for children and treats once a year for them! Are children supposed to have fun during their childhood years? I really can’t imagine the next generation! This is wrong!”
“Let kids have fun like we did. What does it hurt?”
“Parents are the problem. To kids Halloween is just a means for free candy.”
“I agree. Halloween to kids is about candy and costumes. I used to love the Halloween parties at school. We are taking the spirit away from holidays in the hopes of not offending someone or providing ‘safety’ but is that really what this is all about?!”
“Things have gotten totally ridiculous! Our kids don’t have Halloween parties and aren’t allowed to dress in costumes. We have a fall party. I remember how fun it was to dress up and march around. Our childhood was fun. There’s too much worrying about the darn test to get money (funding).”
“All students need some fun time at school where they can socialize with their peers. We are supposed to be helping to mold students into well-rounded individuals. This means learning how to interact appropriately with their peers. What better way to do that then at school? It gives them a chance to socialize with their friends who they might not have any classes with or a chance to make new friends. The kids need a break every now and then.”
“Wish kids had a chance to have fun. Maybe there would be less teenagers screwing up if they had a better childhood.”
“They are overreacting and I think the kids should be able to have a little bit of fun in school and celebrate. If for religious reasons, you are allowed to keep your children home that day.”
“Let them have fun and throw on a costume and march around for parents [and] grandparents – they are only young once!”