World Book Day

What the hell happened to World Book Day?

One minute, it was a great idea to get kids reading, and a good way for primary schools to raise a wee bit of money by getting parents to donate books to the library in their kids' names, a terrific excuse to get writers into schools to talk to their readers. Next I heard, it was a full-blown catwalk event, involving parents shelling out for costumes for their kids that they can't afford - and a new one every year, for heavenssake - so kids can look like characters in books.

And don't tell me parents can make their kids' costumes rather than buying them, please. First, you have to know how to do that and second you need time. Not so easy if you're a working or studying mother (I can't somehow see too many dads lining up to do this) and definitely not easy if you've got maybe three kids.

Are there any parents out there prepared to tell the kids' schools to tone it down?

I remember having the utmost respect for a secondary headteacher who told the school there would be no more proms. The kids were not happy but she was sickened by the amount of money parents were prepared to spend on their young people who were doing no more than celebrating leaving school. Of course, the kids whose parents couldn't afford the limo, the prom clothes, the ticket for the night out - well, they just didn't go. Like the kids who thought it was an utterly naff American idea and boycotted the whole thing.

Has anyone else come across nursery schools - nursery schools - celebrating with a 'graduation' ceremony at the end of the school year? I have and I'm horrified. Nursery isn't the end of anything, as graduation from a university is the end of a major stage of formal education. It's the start of the great adventure of learning and that doesn't involve wearing gowns and mortar boards (which university graduates in Scotland don't even wear by the way). 

And yes, I know boring old farts like me don't move with the times and we do rabbit on about education for its own sake and reading for its own sake. But the whole point of Scottish education - like the Scottish NHS - is that is should be free at the point of delivery. And anything that excludes some families from taking part should not be even considered.

Is there any way we can stick to that?