Australians Outraged at Schools Renaming Grandparents as ‘Grandfriends’

Amy Parmenter of the Giants embraces her grandmother Kathy after entering the court together before the round eight Super Netball match between GWS Giants and NSW Swifts at Ken Rosewall Arena, in Sydney, Australia, on May 8, 2022. Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

The decision by a growing number of schools in New South Wales (NSW) to rename “Grandparents Day” to “Grandfriends Day” to be more inclusive has upset and disappointed many Australians.

Ian Barnett, the founder of the National Grandparent Movement, said rather than being inclusive, the decision excluded one of the “most significant groups in the family.”