Should schools be closed during Eid?
Readers have been taking part in a debate over school closures at Eid after one dad contacted The Sentinel to complain his daughter’s school didn’t make concessions for the celebrations. Here are readers’ thoughts...
PARENTS are calling for schools to shut to observe the threeday Eid festival. The calls have been made after a Stoke-on-trent dad complained that his daughter’s school did not make any concessions for this year’s Eid celebrations.
This year’s festival fell on Bank Holiday Monday which prompted Belgrave St Bartholomew’s Academy to mark any pupil who was absent and did not call in sick on Tuesday, May 3 as an ‘unauthorised absence’.
But the row has triggered calls for the Christmas or Easter holidays to be shortened to accommodate Eid or for schools to use inset days during the festival.
Belgrave St Bartholomew’s Academy, in Lightwood, has remained tight-lipped ever since coming under fire from the parent.
Now many Sentinel readers posting on our website Stokeontrentlive have backed the dad.
Helen Archer said: “When the majority of pupils at a school are Muslim why wouldn’t the school plan its inset days around religious festivals rather than shoot themselves in the foot by taking a hit on their attendance stats and upsetting parents?
“It’s common sense and winwin. I have no religion myself but I support all others who do practice a religion to be able to do so.”
Dannii Lp said: “There’s no reason not to allow for a three-day religious holiday. Maybe give the children some extra work to do at Christmas if the school is worried about them falling behind.”
Alison Hiscock said: “I don’t know how flexible schools are able to be regarding holidays, but if they have 80 per cent Muslim pupils it would seem sensible to incorporate Eid into a school holiday and perhaps have a shorter holiday at some other time.
“That way nobody loses out and there’s no fuss about unauthorised absence.”
Georgina Smith said: “I think each pupil should be allocated two days’ holiday per year for religious festivals or special family circumstances.
“These special occasions are also educational for children and when they grow up they won’t remember PE in year 4, but they will remember the time they spent with family, especially after the last three years.”
Amy-elizabeth Wright said: “If children can have time off for Christmas then they should have time off for Eid.
“You can’t celebrate one religious holiday and then penalise others for celebrating another.”
Kay Bee added: “My daughter’s school was absolutely amazing. They asked us to fill out a form beforehand to have the paperwork in order and the little one was off on Tuesday too because we got to bed very late on Eid. She was able to sleep, open all her presents, and catch up on well wishes to neighbours.”
But other readers did not agree that Eid should be turned into a religious holiday.
Tracey Banks said: “Christmas and Easter are bank holidays so schools have to be shut then – and they’re at the end of terms too.
“Children and staff cannot pick and choose when to go to school. Schools should not change term dates because of religion.”