Students not allowed to pray at school; Mainly Muslims affected
NL TimesStudents across the Netherlands are reporting bans on prayer during school hours, with some even facing punishments for attempting to pray at school. One student said, “They stop us when we pray,” while another shared, “I pray in secret, but if you get caught, you get punished.” Many students are left to find private spaces to pray, often doing so covertly or in areas outside of school grounds. “It makes you Muslim,” said student Meysa, explaining that for Muslims, there are fixed prayer times during the day, often falling during school hours. One student at a different school reported that the principal told them, “If you continue with this, you should look for another school.” At Samira and Meysa’s school, the rules around prayer are not explicitly stated, but they have been approached multiple times while praying. However, he noted that “every student is free to close their eyes and think about God.” The College voor de Rechten van de Mens clarified that while schools are not required to provide a designated prayer space, they cannot outright ban prayer during a student’s own time at school.
History of this topic
Break for Jumu'ah prayers not allowed during school hours: Delhi Government
India Today
Mirfield Free Grammar School: Muslim pupils 'forced to pray outside'
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