IQNA

Primary Schools Ban Children from Fasting during Ramadan

8:34 - June 15, 2015
News ID: 3314188
TEHRAN (IQNA) - A primary school trust been criticized for banning Muslim pupils from fasting during Ramadan.

Barclay Primary School in Leyton, east London, issued a letter to parents informing them that it would not allow children attending school to fast in order to 'safeguard the health and education of the child'.

It said it had sought guidance and that under Islamic Law, children were not required to fast, the Guardian reported.


As a result, it was banning the practice on school grounds.


"Previously, we have had a number of children who became ill and children who fainted or who have been unable to fully access the school curriculum in their attempt to fast," the letter said.


The decision was criticized by Muslim groups which said it was not the school's place to interfere.


The Muslim Association of Britain said there were enough rules in place to protect the vulnerable from fasting without school's interference.


"We believe that there are sufficient and stringent rules within Islam which allow those who are unable to fast, to break fast," a spokesman told Mail Online.
"These rules include those who are medically ill or compromised; or too young or too old to fast.


"However, we believe that this determination should be decided by parents with their children; who can together reach a collective decision whether or not the child can fast.


"MAB ascertains that the final choice of whether or not to fast should be the right of the parents, who should in turn encourage their children to fast without forcing them to do so."


Dr Omer El-Hamdoon, the President of MAB added parents ought to have the ultimate say in whether their child participates in the fast.


"Schools should play a supporting role to parents; and issues like this should be discussed, not blanket enforced," he said.
Alongside Barclay Primary School the ban will be implemented across three other schools which belong to the Lion Acadamy Trust. They are Sybourn Primary School and Thomas Gamuel Primary School in Waltham Forest and Brook House Primary School in Haringey.
 

Tags: Primary ، schools ، ban ، ramadan ، fasting
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