A Launceston primary school is under fire from the premier after parents were left outraged following its decision to ditch its ‘Christmas on the Hill’ concert in favour of what it described as a more culturally appropriate event.
Trevallyn Primary School has renamed its annual end of year Christmas event to ‘Holiday on the Hill’ in an effort to showcase the “strong sense of community” among students “from a range of cultural and religious backgrounds”.
As part of the changes, parents say the school has moved away from traditional Christmas carols towards contemporary pop songs and the school’s “Secret Santa” has been renamed “Holiday Gifting”.
One of those parents, who asked not to be named, told Pulse his daughters were “shattered that they couldn’t do Christmas carols at the end of year”.
The parent said while he supported inclusion, it “should not come at the expense of our own cultural traditions and celebrations”.
In an email to the school, the parent said it is “important to recognise that families can hold different belief systems while still participating respectfully in one another’s celebrations”.
“Our concern is that, in an effort to be increasingly inclusive, the school may actually be moving towards removing or minimising aspects of our own cultural heritage,” the parent’s email read.
“We worry that this approach risks alienating families who value these longstanding traditions and who want their children to feel connected to the cultural practices that have been part of Australian community life for generations.”
However Acting Principal Jane Hudson was quick to hit back, saying the change was made to ensure “every child can participate fully”.
“We have students and families from a range of cultural and religious backgrounds and some students are unable to take part in performances or rehearsals that are centred purely around Christmas themes,” she wrote in her response to the parent.
“While different forms of music play an important part of the event, the focus is not on moving away from any tradition, but rather on showcasing our students, their growth and the strong sense of community that exists within our school.”
Concerns among parents were quick to reach the highest level of the state government.
In a letter seen by Pulse, Jeremy Rockliff wrote to Department of Education, Children and Young People secretary Ginna Webster to slam the school’s decision.
He said Christmas “is an important part of Australian culture and our way of life”.
“I do not support schools removing reference to Christmas in end of year celebrations or removing carols,” Rockliff wrote.
“We recognise some students and families have other traditions, however that is not a reason to abandon our own traditions.”
“We expect our schools to acknowledge and celebrate Christmas, as they have always done.”
He asked Webster to speak to the school to make sure its practices “align with expectations of the broader school community”.
The parent who spoke to Pulse described the premier’s letter as “brilliant”.
“I hope they recognize that they’ve made the wrong decision,” they said.
“I think majority of people would agree that we need to be inclusive to everyone … but don’t come here and change our traditions.”
In a statement to Pulse, the education department refused to say whether the change would be reversed, but said “Christmas-themed items” would still be performed at the event by classes that choose to do so.
“Following feedback at the end of the 2025 event, the school is wanting to ensure that all students and families feel included,” a DECYP spokesperson said.
“Christmas carols will remain part of this event, with some classes choosing to perform Christmas-themed items.”
“Santa Claus will also be attending, consistent with previous years.”
The department said the school’s parent association had been “actively involved in and consulted on the event”.
