Parents barred from Lucia procession – referring to the Convention on the Rights of the Child

With a couple of weeks left until December 13, various traditional ways of celebrating Lucia at preschools and schools are becoming problematic. Several schools are denying parents the opportunity to participate.

At Kalkbrottets preschool in Malmö, parents are not welcome at the Lucia celebration. It is claimed that the children would feel unwell performing and refers to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Louise Hardemo and Elina Trulsson both have children attending the preschool and find the argument absurd. They believe that adults must help and teach children, who are small individuals, how life works.

Last year, a similar ban was in place. The staff filmed the older children singing and performing for the younger ones and showed the videos to the parents when they picked up their children.

This year, parents have been invited to a “Christmas mingle,” described as “a drop-in with mulled wine and various meeting places in a winter theme in a calm and present environment.” Videos of the Lucia celebration will also be shown during the event.

The reference to the Convention on the Rights of the Child does not satisfy the parents.

“If it is true that the children feel so terrible performing in front of their parents, it means that children at other preschools are in danger. The Convention on the Rights of the Child cannot just be applied to a single school – it must be a national guideline,” Louise Hardemo told Aftonbladet.

“Should not be about performance”

She notes that it should be a proud and cozy moment together and wants to be able to share it with her children. Her sons were also very upset that the parents were not allowed to come and watch. When she hears about colleagues’ children’s Lucia processions working as usual at work, it feels particularly sad for her.

Kristin Lundin is the principal of Kalkbrottets preschool, which is a municipal school. The decision to bar parents is said to have come after educators assessed the children’s best interests. It is also claimed that in previous years, “several children have expressed concern when performing in front of many unknown adults in the preschool’s cramped premises.”

“Our mission is to provide a safe, educational, and playful preschool, and we have therefore adapted how we celebrate Lucia based on the children’s needs and circumstances. It should not be about performance, but about learning in a playful and safe environment.”