EDUCATION chiefs insist they are pulling out the stops to ensure pupils of all faiths are included during their Christmas celebrations.

One in five people in Blackburn with Darwen and other parts of East Lancashire are of Asian heritage and headteachers across the region are keen to ensure that although Christmas is Christian celebration nobody feel alienated during the festivities.

They include Jane Barrie, headteacher at Newfield Special School, Blackburn, where pupils speak 17 languages and 45 per cent on roll are Asian.

The school hosts a Christmas Fayre and pupils of all faiths make festive table decorations and all children take part in traditional Christmas productions and a modern day version of the Good Samaritan.

"We celebrate all faiths and don't water them down. We feel it's important that every religion feels able to feel proud of their faith and we talk openly about them. We have had Asian pupils playing Mary and Joseph in the past but we never change the characters or alter the Christian message," Mrs Barrie stressed.

It was a sentiment shared around nine miles away at Heasandford Primary School, Burnley where again 45per cent of pupils are of Asian descent.

Office manager of the Williams Street school, Sue Harvey said: "All the Asian children take part just like when we celebrate Eid all the English children take part in that. We have a carol service too and all the Asian pupils and parents take part in that. It's a multi-faith school and we do all we can to recognise and celebrate Christian and Islam cultures."

And leaders at exclusively Muslim Tauheedul Islam Girl School, Blackburn also makes sure Christmas is on the timetable.

Assistant head and religious education teacher, Moulana Munir Vali said :"We are a multi-cultural society and study all religions."

Canon Chris Chivers, who has the responsibility for inter-faith relations in East Lancashire, said: "Schools in my experience do include all faiths at Christmas in the same way pupils all celebrate Eid.

Walter Street Primary School, Brierfield, has controversially shortened the name Virgin Mary to Mary in the story of Jesus so not to cause offence to Asian pupils who account for 90 per cent of the 370 children on roll.

The decision to "dilute" the story of Jesus was condemned by Christian and Muslim leaders who branded the move absurd and based on incorrect information.

But headteacher Sarah Watson said the move was needed to "tread a line between two faiths" and added: "I suppose it could be described as political correctness but we are just treading a fine line between two faiths, rather than not doing the play at all."