British schools set to mark Ramadan -- and other religious festivals

Equipped with a special room for prayer and its own coordinator for religious education, Featherstone primary school in Southall, an ethnically diverse west London suburb, is set to mark the Muslim holy month of Ramadan -- along with a number of other religious festivals.

"Obviously, at this time of year, there's a lot of other festivals as well -- Hanukkah (celebrated by Jews) and Diwali", celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs, religious coordinator Surinder Lall told AFP.

"So we call this time of the year Festival of Light, and we try to celebrate all the festivals that are happening."

Like most schools, Featherstone holds daily "assemblies", which aim to encourage pupils to absorb moral or religious values and a sense of respect for others.

For many schools in a country which has hundreds of thousands of people of Pakistani or Bangladeshi origin, such gatherings are a time to teach children about other religions.

Lall said that pupils at Featherstone were exploring what it meant to be a citizen through looking at the concept of responsibility.

"We look for scripture on responsibility from all the religions in our school," she explained.

"When the parents come in ... it's almost like a reflection time on celebration of all the religions we have."

Featherstone, which has 700 pupils, is the kind of establishment that pleases the education ministry, whose stated aim is to promote respect and understanding of other religious beliefs and practises.

Pupils generally wear school uniforms, but official guidelines say that Muslim girls and Sikh boys must be allowed to wear clothes "appropriate" to their traditions.

So the sight of girls heading to classes in headscarves, and boys in turbans, does not arouse surprise.

During Ramadan, the month of fasting, giving and prayer which begins on October 26 or 27, pupils at Featherstone are allowed to go without food during daylight hours, and the school makes provision for them to pray, said Lall.

"We have got some Muslim teachers who are quite willing to lead the prayer."

When it comes to fasting, teachers take care to liaise with parents.

"Most of them are sensible because they are not going to ask a six-year-old to fast," said Lall, adding that most Muslim pupils at the school begin the practice between the ages of eight and 11.

Teachers also realise that Muslim children may be less energetic during Ramadan.

"They are tired obviously. For swimming or physical education lessons, we ask a note from the parents just to say that their children are fasting" and cannot take part.