Brussels School Sparks Controversy with Ramadan Fasting Policy for Children

According to the Belgian radio and television, the Emile Bockstael primary school in Laeken declines any responsibility in case of illness of children due to fasting during the Ramadan period. This school has indeed sent a notice to parents asking them to take note of its decision.

According to the Belgian media, two sentences in this notice summarize everything. "In order to avoid any problem, we ask you to complete the following authorization if you accept that your child fasts within the school. In this case, the school declines all responsibility in case an authorized child would feel unwell." Understand: the school will not intervene if a Muslim child who decides to observe the fast would have a malaise.

However, notes the Belgian media, it is not uncommon to see pre-teens decide to fast, symbolically or by competition, on weekends or even at school. Which is not without causing concern among teachers and the political class. And to add that "in the past, the Executive of Muslims had even dispensed schoolchildren and students when Ramadan fell during exam periods".

The reaction of the city of Brussels, to which this school belongs, did not wait. It has indeed clearly disapproved of this decision of the school. Charles Huygens, general director of the Department of Public Instruction, also expresses a contrary opinion. Better, he talks about an "isolated case". "We will go back to the management of this school to explain that the issue must be addressed with responsibility, benevolence and pedagogy," he says. Finally, he affirms that "no child who may be a victim of a malaise will be ignored", while inviting to "make this period a pedagogical opportunity by imperatively associating the Islamic religion teachers".