Schools in Stoke-on-Trent have been issued with guidance on Ramadan with the overriding consideration that 'children do not feel disadvantaged in school activities because of their religious activities.'

The guidance, produced by Stoke-on-Trent City's Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education, advises schools to 'be aware of some important considerations in relation to fasting pupils.' It advises staff to 'exercise a degree of understanding, by encouraging pupils to avoid excessive exertion in physical education to prevent dehydration' among other things.

Schools are advised to consider not scheduling exams in Ramadan, or holding parents' meetings in the evening to 'ensure better attendance.'

The guidance, drawn up using materials produced by the Muslim Council of Britain, was reportedly 'circulated to schools before the summer holidays so it can be considered in time for the start of the autumn term.'

Predictably, sections of the media seized on the story and reported the Council's guidance in a sensational and inaccurate manner.

The Daily Mail ran the headline 'Council forces schools to rearrange exams and cancel lessons to avoid offending Muslims during Ramadan.'

The Daily Express' headline read 'Schools forced to delay exams to avoid insulting Muslims at Ramadan.'

Ramadan, which starts in mid-August this year, will only likely affect school pupils for a week in September as they return to school. And given that exams usually do not take place at the start of term, how relevant and appropriate are these headlines?

The Daily Telegraph meanwhile reported that 'a council has told schools to rearrange exams, cancel swimming lessons and stop sex education during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.' The Daily Star's headline read: 'Headteachers told to stop sex ed lessons during Ramadan.'

Disappointingly, the BBC also reported the story with the headline 'Schools told 'no swimming in Ramadan' for Muslim pupils.' Actually, the guidance states that schools 'with a significant number of Muslims' should consider avoiding swimming lessons as some parents and pupils consider the risk of swallowing water too great.

The caveat - 'schools with a significant number of Muslims' - is conveniently obscured by the BBC's headline and is only mentioned much later in the BBC's report.

The wording of some of these headlines, as in the swimming pool report which surfaced last week, suggests that the move is being ‘forced’ on schools to appease Muslims. But, as the Daily Express’ article notes at the end:

‘A council spokesman yesterday stressed it was up to individual headteachers whether or not to implement the guidance.’

It is evident that the ‘special treatment of minorities’ narrative, an all too popular theme for readers of some of these newspapers, is being regurgitated once again. Three years ago, when the MCB issued a report titled ‘Towards Greater Understanding: Meeting the needs of Muslim pupils in state schools’, the Express claimed the MCB wanted a ‘ban unislamic schools’ and ‘for all children to be taught in Taliban-style conditions.’

Little wonder then that the same mischievous right-wing agenda to demonise British Muslims then, has surfaced once again.

The guidance issued by Stoke-on-Trent City Council can be read here (see page 33 onwards).

If you feel the BBC’s report on the matter (available here) is unfair and misrepresents the issue, you can make a complaint here.

Comments

Add New Search

LibertyPhile  - What do you want?     |2010-07-14 05:06:26 Even if it was only a handful of non-Muslim children, even just one, at a school that cancelled swimming lessons or postponed parents meetings (which could be especially important at the beginning of the school year) or otherwise interfered with regular school activities because of Ramadan their parents would be right to be angry. Why should the religious observances of any religious minority interfere in the lives of everyone else? It is a public school and non-Muslim parents have the right to choose it if it is convenient for them and their children and to expect the education that would be obtained at any other public school. In criticism of some news headlines you point out the exam period is not affected. What would wish if it was the exam period? Would you recommend the delay of GCSEs or special considerations for Muslim pupils because of Ramadan? I doubt it. Muslims clearly can find ways of fulfilling the purposes of Ramadan without interfering with everyone else. So why can’t that be done at other times? You mention that, in any case, it is up to the head teacher. I would like to remind you what happened to Erica Connor. http://thelibertyphile.blogspot.com/2010/05/erica-connor-driven-out-of-my-own_02.html I wonder what you really want. Is it Muslim only schools? If so, you should say so, and the rest of us can point out where that leads; segregation, the Balkans and Northern Ireland writ large.

Write comment
Name:
Email:	do not notifynotify
Website:
Title:
UBBCode:	-color-aquablackbluefuchsiagraygreenlimemaroonnavyolivepurpleredsilvertealwhiteyellow -size-tinysmallmediumlargehuge
	Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

Powered by !JoomlaComment 3.26

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."