Pre-reading questions:
- How is Christmas celebrated in your country?
- Is there an international school near your area?
German media report that an international school in a predominantly Muslim Istanbul bans Christmas celebrations and teachings. It was said that staff at the international school Istanbul Lisesi were told that Christmas traditions and carol-singing would no longer be allowed. Istanbul Lisesi is a Turkish-German school attended by Turkish students but partly subsidized by the German government.
Spiegel Online reports that teachers were instructed not to teach about German Christmas Traditions during class as well as to remove Advent calendars from the classrooms. German Politicians were outraged with the actions of the said school saying that the school is trying to kill religious freedom as this might also be a sign that Turkey is trying to close off from the world. Istanbul Lisesi denies the report.
Vocabulary:
predominantly- [adverb] greater in number or influence
subsidized- [verb] financial support
outraged- [adjective] a feeling of righteous anger
close off- [verb] not allow something
denies – [verb] refuses to admit the truth
Comprehension Questions:
- What is the name of the international school that faced German media’s anger?
- What were the instructions given by the school to its staffs?
- Why is the German media outraged by the school’s policy?
- According to the report, what does the school’s policy imply about Turkey?
- How did the school react to the report?
Express Your Opinion:
- Imagine if one of the most important holidays in your country will be banned from celebrating. What do you think might happen?
- How do you make holidays celebrations fun?
- Do you agree that everybody has religious freedom?