Mandatory School Closures for Muslim, Hindu and Sikh Holidays Stirs Controversy in East London
November 7th, 2009Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
LONDON, ENGLAND, November 1, 2009: A directive, by Waltham Forest and Newham councils, in east London to close all schools on religious holidays of many faiths has been criticized by some residents. The councils stated that the policy is intended to “raise awareness of different faiths and cultures within the school community, which in turn supports cohesion for the wider community”. A review of the policy has been launched in Waltham Forest, with some criticizing the closures as inappropriate, unnecessary and “political”.Head teachers have argued that they should be given discretion in deciding which days to mark, as happens in big multi-ethnic cities including Manchester, Birmingham and Bradford. Lynette Parvez, head of Kelmscott School, in Walthamstow, told officials conducting the review, “For a school such as Kelmscott where the vast majority of pupils are either Christian or Muslim, there is no need to take additional time out for Diwali or Guru Nanak. However, the school does promote and celebrate these events allowing the very small number of staff or pupils to have religious absence days if they request.” She added that schools should be allowed to decide whether or not to allow religious holidays based on their own circumstances.
