Stoke-on-Trent City Council has produced an 11-page Ramadan guide for schools which advises them to cancel swimming lessons and sex education for all pupils during the month.
The council suggests swimming lessons should be cancelled in case muslim children accidentally swallow water when they’re supposed to be fasting rather than the more reasonable suggestion that muslim children should be given the opportunity of taking part in another sport instead.
They suggest cancelling sex education lessons because muslim boys are forbidden to think about sex during Ramadan after they have reached puberty rather than the more reasonable suggestion that muslim children should have the opportunity to catch up on missed lessons after Ramadan.
The Ramadan guide even suggests that schools reschedule exams in case muslim pupils are tired from getting up early to eat before dawn rather than the more reasonable suggestion that muslim children might like to go back to bed after their early breakfast so they’re not tired for their exams.
The council says “The overriding consideration should be that children do not feel disadvantaged in school activities because of their religious observance” whereas most people, I think, would say that a more reasonable “overriding consideration” should be that a child’s religion doesn’t get in the way of their education or the education of every other child in the school.
Making reasonable adjustments to accommodate the religious desires of a child I have no problem with. Offering Halal or Kosher meals to those that want them is reasonable, only offering meat from animals that have been killed inhumanely to all pupils isn’t. Offering pupils the ability to defer their participation in activities or even miss them altogether because of their beliefs is reasonable, forcing an entire school to miss out on activities or reschedule them to accommodate the whims of a medieval religion isn’t.
Despite the best efforts of some, the muslim breeding programme hasn’t yet provided a majority muslim population in England and until it does there is no reason why the lives of so many people should be disrupted to accommodate the religious choices of a minority of the population.
But the nice people at Stoke-on-Trent City Council haven’t pulled all of this out of their own arseholes, they’ve had guidance from the Muslim Council of Britain. The MCB is an unelected taxpayer-subsidised europhile Islamic group which claims to represent 500 muslim groups, membership of which is restricted entirely to those who profess the muslim faith. Hardly representative of the majority of English people are they?
Stoke-on-Trent City Council really have gone too far with this booklet. Not only is it a waste of taxpayers money, it’s also insulting to assume that non-muslims will happily have their lives rescheduled around the Islamic calendar.
My worry is that when the revolution comes, will we have enough lamp posts for these do-goody hand wringers?
To me, this looks like another one of those over-blown scare stories that come out of the gutter press every so often. I’ve just read the document and it just seems to be a bunch of guidelines that schools are free to ignore.
You can find it here, the relevant bit starts at page 33
http://www.moderngov.stoke.gov.uk/Published/C00000117/M00003568/$$ADocPackPublic.pdf
A better point by point look at it can be found here
http://www.ministryoftruth.me.uk/2010/07/12/its-tabloid-correctness-gone-mad/
So are Christian and Jewish children going to be stopped from swimming during Ramadamadingdong? Surely Muslims should be given the chance to opt out of swimming if they want to? Other religions should not be forced into giving up their swimming because of a religious practice which is totally alien to them.
I wonder, do they stop Muslim kids eating meat on Fridays to accomodate Catholics?
😮 do muslim kids eat catholics on other days?
I find it very worrying, that we are giving time, money, effort and creedence to a religion that stops children drinking water for 20 hours a day for a few weeks.
That’s why I suggested we have a swimming festival during this time.
I did post something about this a few days back which hasn’t appeared yet – there are a couple of links included so i suppose thats caused the delay.
The document itself is available to read from stoke city council (one of the links I included in the previous post) and is only a small part of a wider set of guidelines. And thats all they are, guidelines. There is nothing in there that suggests lessons should be canceled, just that some parents may exercise their right to remove there own children from certain classes for religious reasons.
I also included a link to a site that goes into the whole thing in more detail.
By ‘eck Sam, that were a right good read!
If anything sums up what is wrong with this country, that document must be a good contender.
Just look at the front page! From a Democratic Services Officer, through a Chair (sic) and a Vice-Chair (sic) which don’t yet exist, but no doubt will do when the local taxpayers have been fleeced for more money. On to four committees, 2 of which have only two members, one has no members, and one has seven (no doubt these positions will be filled when the local taxpayers have been fleeced for more money). Then a note for them bring along their copy of the religious education in English schools: *NON-STATUTORY* guidance 2010 to the meeting. (no doubt this *NON-STATUTORY* guidance was dreamt up by another over-stressed Quango style committee). Reference to the “Agenda Contact Officer” and the “Member Services Department” (is this a different department to the Democratic Services?)
All this, and we haven’t got off the front page yet.
Then on to the next page which is blank with no explanation to the next page, with the agenda (prepared by Member Services) to the next blank page, with a note on it telling us that it is *intentionally* left blank (full marks there then!)
Then off we go into the bowels of a Socialist Committee’s best dream.
Sorry Stan, I couldn’t read it all. I was so overcome with emotion at the thought of the sheer hard work and dedication which has gone into preparing all this bullshit which helps preserve committees and quangos throughout this green and pleasant land that I started to weep. I nearly wrote “wee” there, but just remembered my “P” in time.
That, ladies and gentlemen is my submission as to what is wrong with this country. To think we have people sat around tables dreaming up all this gunge while drones hover around serving their every need. Is it any wonder we’re sinking under the weight of taxpayer funded bureaucracy while our competitors leave us behind?
Sorry Stan, that should be Stan not Sam in the first line. Maybe I need a Member Service 🙂
Hi KeithS
Well I did warn you to start on page 33 🙂
“To think we have people sat around tables dreaming up all this gunge while drones hover around serving their every need. ”
Yes but can you imagine the chaos they’d cause if you gave them all jobs doing something that actually mattered?
Come to think of it, isn’t Councillor John Burgess – the first name mentioned on the front of the document – one of the BNP ones Councillors?
[…] at all and campaigns only against Islamification and unfettered immigration.” Parr has also spoken of a “Muslim breeding […]