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An Inverness primary school has decided to cancel its Christmas show following a series of racist and abusive messages it received online. Cauldeen Primary had planned to perform a musical originally written nine years ago that included a scene portraying the experiences of refugee children affected by the Syrian conflict. However, the school faced significant negative reactions on social media, some of which were directly aimed at its staff and pupils, prompting the cancellation.
Highland Council confirmed the decision, emphasizing that the wellbeing of both students and staff was the top priority. A spokesperson explained, “Following negative feedback on social media, including racist and abusive messages – some of which were directed at the school and staff – the school has made the wellbeing of staff and pupils its main priority.” Instead of the nativity play, the children will engage in other festive learning activities within the classroom environment. The council also noted that such operational decisions fall under devolved school management.
Police Scotland acknowledged receiving a report concerning threatening and abusive communications online related to the incident. A spokesperson stated that inquiries are currently underway. The story was initially brought to public attention by the Press and Journal newspaper. This development comes in the wake of recent protests in Inverness following announcements about plans to use a nearby army barracks to accommodate asylum seekers.
The cancelled Christmas show was based on *Gimme, Gimme, Gimme*, a musical created by Edgy Productions in 2016, which depicts three of Santa’s helpers working at the North Pole. Part of the narrative involves Santa showing two children the difficulties faced by refugee youngsters along the Turkey-Syria border during the Syrian conflict. Edgy Productions expressed deep concern about the online abuse directed at Cauldeen Primary, highlighting the musical’s core themes of tolerance, friendship, and peace. A spokesperson said, “If some people have mistakenly inferred that this children’s production has any content about the migrant situation which has sparked debate in the UK some nine years later, then their reaction is misplaced.”
John Finlayson, Highland Council’s education chairman, spoke about the impact that the abusive messages have had on the school community. He noted, “The abuse had affected the health and wellbeing of school staff and undermined the ethos of the school in the lead up to Christmas.” While acknowledging the disappointment surrounding the cancellation, he pointed out that school staff were best placed to make such decisions based on the situation. Angus MacDonald, the Liberal Democrat MP for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire, condemned the racist abuse and voiced hope that children would still have opportunities to demonstrate their talents in other ways. He remarked on the welcoming nature of the local community toward refugee families and urged those responsible for the abusive posts to reflect on their behaviour, adding, “I hope the police will be pursuing this shocking behaviour with urgency.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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