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?

[naomi24]

Exactly hc - that's if they want breakfast.

[ummmm]

That's what they have said, Dave.

Danny...do you expect the schools to contact you personally when a child faints?

[hc4361]

danny, in July the fast will last approximately 17 hours.

Between sunrise at 4:45 and sunset at 21:21 (London, July 1st)

[Ric.ror]

Again, as I understand fasting Muslims are not even allowed to drink any water

As I understand it they are not allowed to brush their teeth in case they swallow saliva

[Mamyalynne]

Danny , I live in Bolton which has a very large Muslim Population - but that is not the issue.

[hc4361]

It's a shame they can't fast during the hours of sunrise and sunset in Mecca where the nights are longer.
It must be hard for anyone doing physical labour to go without water for 17 hours, especially when it's very hot. It must be dangerous, too, if they have a driving job, for example.

[Ric.ror]

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

I work in Bradford and I could tell you very many

[dannyk13]

Lynne, all I am saying that if there had been any cases of children fainting etc it would probab ly have been reported in our local paper. Another point in relation to primary schools is that Ramadan does not apply until the child is seven

[Mamyalynne]

Right.

[hc4361]

You mean fasting, not Ramadan, danny.

[dannyk13]

Yes.

[Gromit]

If you take your child on holiday during term time you get fined and lectured about harming the child's education. But they can ban your child for a month for a spurious reason.

[hc4361]

They have banned children from the school for the month of Ramadan, they have banned fasting.
If the children don't attend school the parents will be subjected to the same fines etc as any parent that keeps their child from school.

[dannyk13]

hc, how can the parents be fined when the children are banned by the school?

[hc4361]

The children aren't banned. The children are banned from fasting.

[dannyk13]

//It said it would not allow pupils fasting to attend school during Ramadan//

[hc4361]

Can't see that in the letter, Danny.

[dannyk13]

Fifth line down in the Mail report.

[hc4361]

Do you mean this sentence?

"... it would not allow children attending school to fast in order to 'safeguard the health and education of the child'. "

[dannyk13]

No I mean the sentence I pasted from the Mail report.