Schools concerned about extreme fasting during Ramadan

The general director of the GO! community education network in Brussels has expressed concern that a number of young children are very strictly observing Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting. According to Jacky Goris, there are children who don’t bring food to school, don’t want to take part in swimming lessons out of fear of swallowing water and don’t want to sing during music lessons.

Goris emphasised that this was only happening in a limited number of schools in a limited number of Brussels municipalities: Schaerbeek, Molenbeek and Anderlecht. He believes the fault lies with Koran schools in the west of the city. “They indoctrinate young children with fundamentalist nonsense,” he told Radio 1.

When school staff discussed the situation with the children’s parents, they found that the parents were not in favour of such interpretation of the Islamic teachings. Goris believes much can be solved by improved communication between parents and children; he is looking to the network of teachers in Islamic religion, which was founded this year.

Flemish education minister Hilde Crevits said that religious or cultural convictions should never hinder normal participation in lessons. “Every child must be able to follow lessons in the best conditions,” she said. She pointed out that the Koran schools are not part of the Flemish education system and don’t receive subsidies.

Photo courtesy Bladna