Banning the costume 'book' parade

It can’t just be me who’s pleased that many schools have dumped the panicked parent annual dash to the supermarket or last-minute Amazon order to buy a costume for World Book Day. 

Before becoming a parent I actually used to smile at children walking along the street in their Superman, princess, Spider-Man, Toy Story or Gruffalo costumes. I paid virtually no attention to the bedraggled wide-eyed parent and I definitely didn’t think about the cost, the waste or the irrelevance of the costumes the kids were actually wearing. I chalked it up to harmless fun. But now, I know better. 

It is for this reason that I agree with the schools who have chosen to part ways with the need for kids to come in to school on World Book Day wearing costumes. I know their reasons vary. Some just don’t see it as appropriate during a cost of living crisis. Some think it’s not environmentally sound. Some are aware that some of their children won't come into school or will claim they forgot. Some have realised that the costumes rarely relate to a book that wasn’t commissioned by Disney or Marvel. And as for the costumes that do relate to real books with real authors, well those are from a very small and select group of children's books.

The problem as I see it goes beyond the commercialisation of World Book Day in increasing the sale of lightweight, impractical and short-lived outfits. The problem is that the focus is on the costumes rather than on reading or the pleasure and excitement that reading can bring. The original intention behind the creation of World Book Day (which I am reliably informed by the namesake's website) - was created by UNESCO on 23rd April 1995 and the first one was held in the UK and Ireland in 1997, and it's purpose was to inspire children through reading. Intrinsically, schools know this and use it as a vehicle to champion reading. I know that many will use World Book Day to promote oracy skills, interest in reading books from different writers and simply to encourage children to get lost in a book the old-fashioned way.

Now there are those who are unsettled by this shift by lots of schools towards a perceived 'ban' on harmless fun. They are upset that these 'bans' signal grinch-like behaviour and a failure to embrace yet another parental stress-inducing dress-up day and opportunity to raise some money. But I’ve got to disagree. Schools are showing the kind of thoughtfulness, care and intentional practice that far too often they are criticised for not demonstrating often enough. Banning the costume parade on World Book Day is a smart step in the right direction. Perhaps the first of many in demonstrating how big events can return to their original purpose and be made more fun affordable, inclusive and sustainable.