MANILA, Philippines—The head of a national organization of private schools called on his colleagues Wednesday to correct their pupils’ association of ghosts and ghouls with All Saints’ Day.
In a statement, the president of the Federation of the Associations of Private Schools and Administrators (Fapsa), Eleazardo Kasilag, asked fellow school administrators to teach their pupils that wearing spooky costumes, putting on fangs and horns on Halloween is wrong.
Kasilag issued the call after observing that some schools allow the “wrong perception” of the commemoration of All Saints’ Day to continue among preschoolers and elementary school pupils.
He said, “The pupils in the preschool as well as in the elementary have to be told that celebrating Halloween is partying with the demons,” particularly when the kids are in horrifying masks and costumes.
Kasilag suggested that the children be taught instead to portray inspirational characters, such as fairies, superheroes, cartoon characters, and even saints.
He also asked private school heads to teach children the true meaning of the commemoration of All Saints’ Day.
“We need to honor and remember the good works of our dead but not celebrate their death or the horrors in the cemetery,” Kasilag said.
The Fapsa president said children’s dressing up as horrifying characters should not be treated as something that is done for sheer fun as it sends the wrong message and defeats the purpose of education.
“It conveys a bad message and the objective of education about truth, values and good life, is compromised,” Kasilag said.
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