School Bans Fasting Pupils

[mushroom25]

sorry only daily mail covering this at present:-

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3120407/Primary-schools-ban-Muslim-pupils-fasting-Ramadan-one-saying-health-risk-young-children.html

the article includes a facsimile of the letter sent to parents on this matter, and it seems to have been handled sensitively.

nevertheless, is it any business of the school how its community chooses to express their faith?

[mushroom25]

here's the school's news website -

http://www.barclayprimary.net/barclay-news

scroll to the bottom and click on "ramadan".

mikey, how did the mail engineer this? or indeed why would they?

[mikey4444]

Mush...no of course not !

But this is a typical scare story that the DM likes to publish. They make it seem as if this is practise is widespread and will mean the end of civilization as we know it. But I suspect it isn't widespread amongst the British Muslim community after all.

[-Talbot-]

Not unlike your 'beware the far right they will lead the way to the end of civilisation as we know it' stories, mikey?

[Old_Geezer]

I'm unsure how banning them from school lowers the health risk.

If it is risky then it is a legal issue.

[jourdain2]

I think that I can write with reasonable authority on this. I was told by an Imman that there had to be reasonable rules depending on the part of the world and sunrise/sunset times. It was also clear that children (until the age of 16 - but younger ones could decide for themselves) were exempted; as were the sick and elderly.

We had a lot of problems with this in school (kids passing-out etc.) especially in swimming lessons, which they tried to avoid by saying that they might , inadvertently, swallow some water. Sorry - but we cannot function like this!

Definitely, young children are exempt from fasting. I can't blame the school at all. It is gradual encroachment of Islam. If one point is allowed then they move to the next.

[keyplus90]

Primary school children are too young to fast anyway and parents should know that.

[New Judge]

Quite. They should also know that young women and girls should not be mutilated. But some of them don't.

[douglas9401]

Child abuse by any other name, not only primary school age.

[New Judge]

"...unless they drink lots of allowed fluids ... like "water"."

No fluids are "allowed" for those who are fasting, methyl. I once went on a safari trip during Ramadan and we had a Muslim driver. He could drink nothing until sunset and in the heat of Africa, by late afternoon he was suffering badly (so much so that on one occasion our guide- a non-Muslim - had to take over driving). Fasters are also prevented from swimming lest they accidentally swallow any water. And there lies the great danger, especially for young children at this time of year.

The whole business is ridiculous and dangerous even for adults. If it is imposed on children there is certainly a case for child abuse to be considered. And it's not a "Daily Mail racist article". It's certainly in the Daily Mail but it's by no means racist to discuss a school's legitimate concerns for the welfare of its charges which may be compromised by this utter nonsense.

[naomi24]

Mikey, it isn't a scare story. Read the letter on the link mushroom25 provided. Children age 10 onwards are commonly expected to fast, but younger if the parent deems it necessary - and methyl, New Judge is right - no water.

[Mamyalynne]

The letter from the School is well written and thoughtfully worded.

I imagine the number of parents of primary pupils who expect their children to fast wil
l be small - those that insist must then follow the school's rule and teach them at home for that period.

[dannyk13]

Not the schools business, another case of big brother syndrome.

[Mamyalynne]

If they didn't have the proof of the past - fainting/lack of concentration etc to go on , I would agree with you Danny.

But they do.

[naomi24]

Of course it's the school's business. The school is responsible for the welfare of the child during the school day.

[dannyk13]

Where does the school get the idea that the children would go 18 hours without food? Eating is allowed at dusk.

[naomi24]

And what time does the sun set at this time of year?

[hc4361]

Dehydration is a dangerous condition and if the children get up before sunrise with their parents they will have been awake over 4 hours before the school day starts.

[dannyk13]

Lynne, I live in Bradford where there are many Muslim families and I have yet to hear of any problems with fasting for Ramadan.

[dave50]

Why doesn't the school announce that it will ignore this med-evil practice and any child in school will be given food and water. If they don't like it then they will have to keep their child off school.