Would you be annoyed if school went 100% halal meat?

[Wintershealing]

The school I work at has a new head teacher who has announced from after half term all meat needs to be halal. She says it's a more ethical way to slaughter animals (she's vegan herself) and no non-halal meat will be on offer. She said anyone who doesn't want it can bring a packed lunch.

I don't know much about halal meat other than it's religious connections. What do you think?

Both the UK and Ireland have a significant trade in halal meat with Muslim states.

10% of school children are Muslim ( same as proportion of vegetarians).Muhammad was the number 1 boys name in 2023 and 2024. The Muslim population skews young. This allows school to cater to the 2 largest minorities with only 2 meals served.

If its only Halal meat and no other option then 100 percent I have a problem with it and here is why:

1. Britain, ireland and europe are christian countries and christianity weather you like it or not played a big part in building the foundations of these nations.

1. What about jewish or hindu students? Because in thier religions they are not allowed to eat halal meat so do they have to starve or bring thier own lunches in?

1. Muslims make up the minoraty in britian (so far) so why are we catering to the minoraty in the first place?

1. In muslim schools would they ever allow non-halal meat? Or do away with it completly and serve regular meat?

1. If we are talking about actual halal meat that is killed a certain way then that goes against all the laws of killing animals here in the UK.

35% of all lamb is exported, no specific data is available on what % of that is Halal. This means that Halal slaughter is still way out of proportion for the population.

So you could cater for 20% of school children by offering vegetarian meals without the need to compromise animal welfare.

So why aren’t they doing that then, why should the 80% be forced to compromise?

Are you a weirdo.

@Ciaran203 Hindus can eat halal meat if they choose to.
Nothing in their religion says they can't.
Jewish people who follow a strict kosher diet don't eat Halal but there are also far more food rules within a kosher diet.
A Jewish child in a non Jewish school will probably have special arrangements for their school meals as it's more complicated (no milk and meat at the same time etc).
So basically the only people who "can't" eat Halal meat are those who are Jewish.
Everyone else can.
Except vegetarians and vegans obviously.
Edit : Correction - Sikhs also don't eat Halal meat. Many Sikhs are vegetarian though.

My kids would be out next day

Why?

@Needmorelego I meant Sikhs instead of hindus but still, Why are we catering for a minoraty? Also, christianity built the foundations of britian and Not just britian but europe has always been christian.

And no muslim school will ever go 100 percent non-halal meat so why should christian schools or even intergrated schools go 100 percent halal?

Also, If we are talking about actual halal meat then its against the laws in britian to slaughter animals that way so now we are going to change our laws just to keep the muslims happy? Even things like sharia courts should never be a thing in the UK or europe imo

However, If kids have options between normal meat and halal meat that is butchered the way that meets UK laws then I dont care.

Halal meat is butchered to strict standards within the abbatoir. No animal is allowed to be killed in front of another. It's clean as a gunshot to the head.

Yes,this would annoy me. At the end of the day,all animal slaughter is very unpleasant,but halal even more so. People should be given the choice. I do my utmost to avoid halal meat,but sometimes a lot of companies aren't very forward about advertising the fact that their meat is halal.

@Ciaran203 I don't think you can say "Europe" has always been Christian 😂
I assume you've heard of Paganism?

The problem is again you try to include one group you exclude another in this situation. Why jot make all the food vegetarian so everyone can eat the same thing? People will object to halal or kosher meat on the basis that they don’t want prayers said over their meat not just for religious reasons. I mean I don’t get why it’s so important to make things halal? If other people can just choose the veggie option why is that not ok for muslims to do so?

I can't eat it because it's Muslim.

I'm not Muslim.

It's against my beliefs to eat religiously slUghted meat

@Bringemout some schools have gone full vegetarian.
Many parents complained because they believe their children must eat meat.

I'd just stop meat full stop and serve fish and vegetarian meals. You don't need meat and you definitely don't need halal meat.

Vegetarian and fish on Fridays for those who want it.

@braceforcorrection are your beliefs personal or religious?

The god that Hamas and fundamentalists claim to follow is certainly not the same as the God I worship.

If you are Christian or Jewish then it is the same God.
Sorry to tell you that but it is.

My daughter’s primary school didn’t serve pork. It was a veggie option, meat or packed lunch. If you had dietary requirements then this could be arranged. Christmas lunch was halal turkey. Not sure about the high school but my work serves halal meat and pork xx

Are you a primary school child or a parent? What religion are you?

My kid goes to Catholic school. They serve halal meat. It hasnt made the school less Catholic and all the children are catered for.☺️

@TooBigForMyBoots but why are they serving it at a catholic school? Will non-halal meat be served at a muslim school?

Awww cute little emojis regarding animals’ throats being cut, how very Mumsnet.