Hunter Valley Grammar moves to inclusive Family Gift Stall for Mother's Day

A private school in the Hunter Valley has renamed its traditional “Mother’s Day Stall” a “Family Gift Stall” for inclusivity reasons – leaving some mums at the school fuming.

A private school in the Hunter Valley has renamed its traditional “Mother’s Day Stall” a “Family Gift Stall” for inclusivity reasons – leaving some mums at the school fuming.

The stall is being held on Friday for the junior school students from kindy to Year 6, with $12 gifts in the lead up to Mother’s Day this Sunday.

“The purpose of the stall is to celebrate loved ones,” the promotion for the day at Hunter Valley Grammar School reads: “Students have the special job of choosing a gift with their loved one in mind.”

But a number of school mums were not happy, with several telling The Daily Telegraph they feel it’s an insult and erasing their special role.

“Please don’t take this away from us,” one concerned mum wrote to the school. She said her son came home from school and told her it’s a Family Day so “you can buy a gift for anyone in your family” and “that really hurt”.

Snapshot of an email sent to parents about the "Family Gift Stall" at a Hunter Valley private school, instead of a Mother's Day stall.

“I am quite upset by this,” she said.

“By changing the name it feels like you are sending the message to students that Mums are no more important than anyone else in their lives they think are special.

Flyer for volunteers for a "Family Gift Stall" at the Hunter Valley private school. Some parents have objected to taking away the traditional "Mother's Day" stall.

“It is the one day a year where mums are celebrated and recognised.

She said it was explained that the change was made “based on feedback from families in the school community, that it was upsetting some of the children from non-traditional families who have two dads or may not have a mum present in their lives.”

Another school mum said she felt it was “woke ideology”.

The Hunter Valley Grammar School is based northwest of Newcastle. Picture: Google Maps

“As a concerned parent I am deeply concerned about gender ideology infiltrating our schools and how proponents of this movement are not only seeking to erase important and meaningful gendered terms such as mother, girl, boy, breast, but also seek through the guise of ‘inclusion’ to erase valued traditions such as Mother’s Day,” she said.

Rainbow Families suggests cards be made with messages such as “You’re the Best” to “allow children to celebrate any special adult”.

Hunter Valley Grammar School principal Rebecca Butterworth said the school had never intended to “diminish the significance of Mother’s Day”.

“Our intention in renaming the stall was to ensure that the children in our school who don’t have a mother in their home feel welcome and supported as they purchase an item from the stall,” she said. 

“It was never to diminish the significance of Mother’s Day or to disregard the important role our mothers, grandmothers and all women play in our community as caregivers.

“We deeply value and respect all mothers and recognise their dedication to their families and our school community each and every day.”

Women’s Forum Australia chief executive Rachael Wong said change was “one more example of a broader move to erase sex-specific language in our culture, as part of an ideological push to reject biological reality and pretend that sex doesn’t matter”.

“And once again, it is women and mothers who are being erased in the name of this so-called ‘inclusiveness’.

Last month the Erskinville based charity Rainbow Families issued guidelines suggesting educators be inclusive on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day by “avoiding gender stereotypes”.“Not every child has a mum, some may have two days, two mums or other diverse caregivers,” it said. The organisation said to offer different cards such as “You’re the Best!”, which would allow children to celebrate any special adult in their life”.

Australian Christian Lobby NSW state director Joshua Rowe said mums were the bedrock of society.

“The unshakeable truth is that every human being has a Mum. To erase the celebration of this woman is to seek to erase one of the purest loves and bedrocks of our society.”

The school has been approached for comment.

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