An elite private school has been accused of promoting “woke ideology” after changing the name of its Mother’s Day stall to “Family Day.”
The position will be available on Friday for primary students from kindergarten to Year 6 at Hunter Valley Grammar School, 310 kilometers north of Sydney.
The stalls have traditionally been set up so students could buy gifts for their mothers before Mother’s Day on Sunday.
The move has angered some moms who say the position is erasing their special role as mothers on the only day a year when it can be celebrated.
Mothers have accused an elite private school of pushing “woke ideology” after students were invited to buy gifts at a “Family Day” stall ahead of Mother’s Day (file image)
The stall will be available to primary students from Kindergarten to Year Six at Hunter Valley Grammar School (pictured) on Friday and all gifts will cost $12.
“I’m pretty upset about this,” one mother said. Daily Telegraph.
‘By changing the name, it seems as if you are sending the message to students that mothers are not more important than anyone else in their lives who they consider special.
“It’s the only day of the year when mothers are celebrated and recognized.”
He said the change came after parents complained that the Mother’s Day stand was upsetting students who may not have a mother in their lives or may have two parents.
Another mother accused the school of pushing “woke ideology.”
“I am deeply concerned about gender ideology infiltrating our schools and how advocates of this movement not only seek to erase important and meaningful gender terms such as mother, girl, boy, breast, but also seek, under the guise of ‘ inclusion’, erasing highly valued traditions like Mother’s Day,” he said.
‘(It is)… the one day of the year dedicated to all mothers, future, past and present, to appreciate their courage, sacrifices and unconditional love.’
Parents were notified about the position in an email from the school.
‘The purpose of this position is to celebrate loved ones. On Friday, K-6 students will have the opportunity to visit the booth,” the email said.
“Students have the special task of choosing a gift with their loved one in mind.”
Parents were notified about the Family Day booth in a school email (pictured)
A resource (pictured) from Early Childhood Australia provided educators with a guide to including diverse families on Mother’s and Father’s Day.
It comes as a growing number of preschools and daycares refuse to celebrate Mother’s Day and rename the occasion “Parents’ Day” or “Family Day.”
Last year, several early learning centers hosted events that replaced female-centered words like “mother” with gender-neutral words like “father.”
The mindset shift was sparked by a new resource from Australian Early Childhood advocacy group, which provided educators with a guide to including diverse families on Mother’s and Father’s Day.
The resource urged educators to give children the option of giving a gift for a “special adult” other than their mom or dad and avoid gender stereotypes.
“Avoid gender stereotypes in children’s crafts,” the resource advises.
“Stay away from cards with flowers for mom or ties for dad.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Hunter Valley Grammar School for comment.