Birthday party snub sparks debate

Birthday party snub sparks debate

news.bbc.co.uk

An eight-year-old boy has sparked an unlikely outcry in Sweden after failing to invite two of his classmates to his birthday party.

The boy's school says he has violated the children's rights and has complained to the Swedish Parliament.

The school, in Lund, southern Sweden, argues that if invitations are handed out on school premises then it must ensure there is no discrimination.

The boy's father has lodged a complaint with the parliamentary ombudsman.

He says the two children were left out because one did not invite his son to his own party and he had fallen out with the other one.

(visit the link for the full news article)

this story cracked me up
kid didnt invite 2 other kids to his birthday party and now its going through court, they must be running out of things to do there.

so if your a kid in swedon and your going to throw a party ensure you invite everyone.

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

This planet has officially lost it!! It's not even amusing. Lawyers must be strapped for cash these days.

i would expect to hear this story coming from here in america but not sweeden .
i feel even less comfortable knowing that sweeden is also ate up with the dumbass and it's not just us americans .
have you seen that stupid show "my sweet 16" on mtv?????
i watched some little twit get a $100,000 Mercedes Benz for her 16th birthday . what a joke that was .
sorry for the highjacking of the thread , i just had to get it out .

Originally posted by bodrul

Birthday party snub sparks debate

news.bbc.co.uk

An eight-year-old boy has sparked an unlikely outcry in Sweden after failing to invite two of his classmates to his birthday party.

The boy's school says he has violated the children's rights and has complained to the Swedish Parliament.

The school, in Lund, southern Sweden, argues that if invitations are handed out on school premises then it must ensure there is no discrimination.

The boy's father has lodged a complaint with the parliamentary ombudsman.

He says the two children were left out because one did not invite his son to his own party and he had fallen out with the other one.

(visit the link for the full news article)

So let me get this straight... One didn't invite the other first and that didn't go to court... so the second kid returned the favour and that DID go ??

Is this a joke ? really and deeply they have to be off their freeking marbles if they think this is discrimination..

Its the kids birthday, and if he didn't want people he didn't like there, he has the right to choose..

Or not as the case might soon be ?????????

Sweden, you have officially gone barking bloody mad.

Wow. It is insane! It is HIS birthday party, his parents pay for it - and school is deciding what is right or wrong with guests list??? Because it was announced in school property???
Since insane can be fought only with equally insane measures, i suggest parents of kids from different classes or even schools to sue the school and education system. Why they were not invited - this is a part of the same education system so why the discrimination? One birthday - all kids of Sweden as guests. And especially important - the presence of Swedish minister of education is a must. He/she has to oversee lack of discrimination in cake-cutting and cost of presents and such!
Edit. Oh shame...
Yes.Sweden is far. But i just discovered that it is the same lame rule here! Noooooo! It appears that if kid wants to invite only part of kids - he is not allowed to do it in the school. Who is the not-so-wise person who makes this stuff up? Maybe i will implement my advice here?




[edit on 29-6-2008 by ZeroKnowledge]

It's a brave new world, welcome to the monkey house!!!

When will this insaneness that's going on, apparently all OVER the world, about "hurting these kids' self esteem"?

It's outrageous what all is going on now with parents and how they treat children... they are acting like if they can keep them in a virtual bubble of constant attention, approval and applause, they will turn out well??? HELLOOO wakey wakey out there parents!!!

It's completely ridiculous, and I see it everywhere.... these kids are going to be so ill equipped to join society that I guess the parents will just have to build rooms in their basement because the real world will be way too harsh and cruel for their "self esteem."

[edit on 29-6-2008 by LateApexer313]

welcome to socialism...!

I think the article makes it clear that the issue is not whom the boy invited to his party, but that he passed out the invitations at school and flagrantly omitted two of his classmates.

I can certainly understand that the school does not want to be caught in the middle of a brouhaha regarding the willful humiliation of students.

Clearly, the school has control over activities that take place on its property and to determine what is acceptable activity and what is not.

I believe that the school acted within its rights, but I'm less certain about involving the parliament.

The boy and his father should have simply sent the invitations in the mail or hand-delivered them to the invited students and avoided humiliating the omitted students and involving the school in their little scheme.

[edit on 2008/6/29 by GradyPhilpott]

Sure, no problem. The government can tell families who to invite to their children's birthday parties as long as they foot the bill for the party. That sounds like a fair trade.

This is the stupidest thing i've ever heard. i'd expect it from the UK or USA but Sweden? Come on Sweden you've let us down.

If this happens over something so stupid like that, I wonder what happens when someone actually gets bullied in that school!

This seems not to be accurately reported. This Swedish source says the teacher confiscated the invitations because "As long as the invitations are handed out during school hours, you are only allowed to invite; all the boys, all the girls or everyone". The class was clearly upset after the incident. The teacher claims they were upset because two of their friends had been left out, the father claims they were upset because the teacher forced them to hand the invitations back.

The father later decided to take the school to some sort of complaints commission (I'm not Swedish, so I'm not sure how this works). The school is defending its actions, but has certainly not taken anything to the Swedish parliament!

Here is a Google translation of the article. The translation is a bit rough, but you'll get the drift.

Edit to ad: This seems to be about about prevention of bullying during school hours.

[edit on 29/6/08 by gekko]

reply to post by gekko



utter madness. WTF right has the school to say who a kid can and cannot invite ?

Sounds like some madness has well and truely gripped the swedes. If the school foots the bill, then the school can say who goes. if its at a private home, then the home owner and birthday child decides.

What a friggin joke country - i thought the UK was mad...

reply to post by Dan Tanna

The school has the right to tell the pupils what to do as long as they are in school during school hours... I don't think that makes Sweden anything special.

I'm not defending anyone here though. Just reporting from the original source as it happens I can read Swedish.

The point being "As long as the invitations are handed out during school hours, you are only allowed to invite; all the boys, all the girls or everyone".

Peace

g

Well I'm surprised, because I assumed the Scandinavian countries were a bit more pragmatic about things.

I guess everyone is a liberal foot-shuffling, wrist-wringing, big girl's blouse these days.

yep the planet has lost it but this sounds like sometthing that would happen in california!!!

The school has the right idea. To promote fairness, at least while you're on their soil.

The father should have invited all the children. He would have taught his own son a good lesson in forgiveness and diplomacy.

Taking it to parliament is ridiculous.. I like what the school has done given the kid was handing them out during classtime [imo to cause trouble]. I vaguely remember this was a favourite little scheme with girls growing up "Invite everyone in the class but her and make sure she knows. " Least the school isn't enabling bullies.

Naysayers.. you've gotta admit it's kind of mean. Would you let your kid to invite everyone except two just to make those two kids feel bad?

edited for clarity.

[edit on 29-6-2008 by riley]