Festive Performance Axed Following Online Abuse
A primary school in the Scottish Highlands has been forced to cancel its Christmas show after staff received what authorities describe as "racist and abusive" messages targeting the production's inclusion of Syrian refugee themes.
Cauldeen Primary School in Inverness made the difficult decision to scrap its planned performance of "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" following what Highland Council termed "negative feedback" on social media and direct abusive communications aimed at school staff.
Play Content Sparks Controversy
The controversial production, created by Edgy Productions - a company specialising in scripts and music for schools and youth theatre - included a scene where Santa Claus shows two young characters the hardships faced by Syrian refugees on the Turkish border.
Andrew Oxspring, managing director of Edgy Productions, defended the play's content, stating it was written in 2016 during the height of the Syrian civil war when refugee issues dominated international headlines. "This was international headline news at the time and the world's sympathies were with those refugees," he explained.
Oxspring expressed dismay at the reaction, noting: "The fact that this reaction has been racist and directed at the school is something we find deplorable. It is not indoctrination to teach in schools that cold, hungry children caught up in foreign conflicts should be deserving of nothing but sympathy and help."
Wider Community Tensions
The incident occurs against a backdrop of rising community tensions in Inverness following the UK government's announcement that Cameron Barracks, a disused military base in the city, had been earmarked as a dispersal centre for 300 asylum seekers being moved out of hotels.
This decision, though not yet finalised, has sparked debate about Inverness's track record of successfully housing Ukrainian and Syrian refugees in previous years.
Similar tensions have surfaced elsewhere in Scotland, with recent protests targeting adult English classes at schools in Glasgow and Renfrew. On Monday, demonstrators gathered outside Dalmarnock Primary School in Glasgow's east end, claiming that English classes for adults posed a threat to children.
Police Investigation Underway
Police Scotland has confirmed it is investigating allegations of threatening and abusive online communications related to the Cauldeen Primary School incident.
Highland Council emphasised that the wellbeing of staff and pupils remains its "main priority" and confirmed that instead of the Christmas show, classes would participate in other festive learning activities within the school.
A council spokesperson stated: "Under devolved school management, decisions like this are an operational matter for the school."
The cancellation highlights growing concerns about how community tensions around migration policy are affecting educational institutions and their ability to deliver inclusive curriculum content without fear of harassment.
