British school discourages students from fasting, sends letter to parents

A primary school in East London has sent out letters to their Muslim parents, informing them that children would not be allowed to fast on school grounds, according to media sources. 

The letter sent out by Barclay Primary School begins with acknowledgement of the significance of the Holy month for families, and offers to celebrate Ramadan with them by discussing Islamic customs in assembly and classes.

According to the administration, the decision to ban fasting for the little kids takes into consideration the June/July heatwave, long fasting hours in the UK, and the fact that the previous year’s fasting left several Muslim pupils feeling weak and ill, or even fainting during school hours.

Growing bodies of children may be biologically ill-equipped to effectively handle prolonged periods of sustenance deprivation.

“We have sought guidance and are reliably informed that in Islamic Law, children are not required to fast during Ramazan, only being required to do so when they become adults,” the letter from the school said.