School bans children from sending Christmas cards to protect the environment
The headteacher of the primary school says the tradition is bad for the environment.
Wednesday 4 December 2019 09:30, UK
A primary school headteacher has been branded a "grinch" after banning pupils from sending Christmas cards.
Jonathan Mason, head of Belton Lane Primary School in Grantham, Lincolnshire, said the tradition was bad for the environment.
However, parents said the move is not in the Christmas spirit and accused Mr Mason of "rank hypocrisy" after he reportedly announced the ban in a letter to all parents.
In the letter he wrote: "I have been approached by a number of children recently who are concerned about the impact of sending Christmas cards on the environment.
"Throughout the world we send enough Christmas cards that if we placed them alongside each other, they'd cover the world's circumference 500 times.
"The manufacture of Christmas cards is contributing to our ever-growing carbon emissions.
"So in order to be environmentally friendly in school we will not be having a post box for Christmas cards from this year onwards.
"Instead, can we encourage you to save money and the environment by not sending cards to all of the children in a class individually but instead, if you want to send a card please send one card to the whole class.
"Teachers can then display the cards in the classroom for everyone to see."
One parent, who did not want to be named, told the Daily Mail: "I know quite a few parents who are upset about this.
"Why should children have the joy taken out of Christmas? Why can't all these cards be recycled anyway? And I buy a lot of Christmas cards for charity.
"Where is all the Christmas spirit in this?
"I know we have to protect the environment, but these are a few Christmas cards once a year and to be told about this on a piece of paper seems contradictory."
Another added: "Telling people to stop sending cards in a letter sent out to hundreds of kids stinks of rank hypocrisy.
"I hope parents boycott these Grinch-like plans and keep this tradition alive by sending lots of cards to their little pals.
"They are mostly recyclable anyway. I agree that environmental issues are important but I don't see recyclable Christmas cards as a massive contributor to these problems."
Belton Lane Primary is a mixed, community school for 275 pupils aged between four and 11. It was rated "good" in its latest Ofsted inspection.
Sky News has contacted Mr Mason for comment.