Non faith school re-arranging events because of eid

[reikizen]

My daughter's primary school is a large multicultural one, but is not a faith school. They sent a letter tonight saying the year 6 leavers assembly has been rearranged to accommodate children who may be kept off school for eid. This means I can't now go as I have to request my shifts at work well in advance and did so on the information the school originally gave. I am really cross and feel like contacting the school as I can't understand why the personal preferences of a certain group of parents should trump all other considerations. I know of at least 3 other year 6 parents who can't attend the new date, and my daughter will be very upset when I tell her. Would you complain?

It is a whole month away!

YABU and you sound pretty unpleasant from your OP.

YWNBU to be annoyed at the school for not thinking of this is the first place but your OP doesn't come across like that's the main problem.

It doesn't sound like particularly short notice. It's not their fault that it's hard for you to get time off.

What do you expect them to do now? Change it so some of the children can't go just so you can?

Ramadan only started yesterday so maybe it's just only occurred to the school there might be a problem.

If I were living in a non Christian country I would not expect the school to accommodate my dc by swapping dates for pre arranged event. In practice it would never happen.

Yes this thread sits badly with me because the emphasise on the religious aspect. Fair enough it's not ideal to change the date (although you've got a month's notice). But why is the religious reason relevant and the non faith status of the school?

Yes, technically you could complain, however if there are a very large number of Muslim children attending the school it's unlikely to change anything and it's unlikely they've done it to upset anyone.

Eid dates are not released until very late so it's difficult to estimate when it will happen and children can take 2 religious observance days per year (as part of authorised absences) so they're likely to be absent on that day. In the case of a school with a very large percentage of Muslim kids and staff continuing regardless, there would likely be a lot of children ( and possibly staff) absent on this day and at my school this would make an end of year concert near impossible.

Obviously if there are only a very small number of Muslim children attending your child's school, that they have chosen to accommodate, then potentially it's more unreasonable.

This is the school being crap at planning. It's not about eid per se. Yanbu to be annoyed the school has changed the date at short notice that's v annoying.

Yabvu. Of course it's better that more children can attend. It's a whole month away!

We only got the date/time of our leavers' assembly yesterday!! And I thought it was quite a decent amount of notice. I guess that's the trouble of sending out dates a long time in advance - things do come up (obviously eid hasn't just come up, but it might have had to be changed for another reason).

I actually think a leavers assembly is for the parents in large part isn't it? I see it as a time to reflect on an important part of my daughter's childhood with other parents and her friends. I was really looking forward to having a good cry! Unfortunately a month isn't enough time for me to re arrange as I am a midwife and my clinic runs on the day of the rearranged assembly so unless I cancel it I have to be there. Also, my shifts are set by electronic rostering so any requests have to be made months in advance.
I am not sure why the Muslim children could not attend for the assembly and then go home to celebrate eid, considering they are actually obliged to attend school on that day as any other school day I am supposing.
I guess my problem is that the school saying that one particular religion trumps all other considerations, and could have been avoided with a little forward planning. It's hard to complain without sounding intolerant of others beliefs but I do not have a faith and chose a non faith school in the hopes that it would be inclusive, and make decisions on educational not religious grounds.

Eid is known to within a day or two years ahead. it can be planned for. It should have been planned for. Very unfair on people who have planned round the original date.

Yes schools authorise absences for religious festivals. Every year my dd's school sends round a notice saying when they expect Eid to be and which absences they will authorise. I am Jewish and my dd's absences for our festivals are always authorised.

I believe my dd benefits from observing Jewish festivals and don't mind her missing school for them if she needs to.

Eid is never known until the sighting of the moon the night before anyway, so it is impossible to plan it exactly.

It is annoying, but surely with a month's notice you could swop a shift with someone?

I was kind-of with you until

I actually think a leavers assembly is for the parents in large part isn't it? I see it as a time to reflect on an important part of my daughter's childhood with other parents and her friends. I was really looking forward to having a good cry!

Er.. no! It's for the children.

No overmydeadbody but there are tables from which it can be worked out to a day or so so that all the possible days can be avoided.

Fair enough, it seems the mn jury have spoken! I am prepared to accept I am in the wrong. It's still a damn shame to miss it though.

I wouldn't be happy and would complain

Fatmomma yes! The whole of the Ops last post is pretty mind boggling, especially: Iam not sure why the Muslim children could not attend for the assembly and then go home to celebrate eid, considering they are actually obliged to attend school on that day as any other school day I am supposing. ummm, no, they are allowed days for religious observance! They don't have to be there, and as a PP has pointed out you wouldn't like it if school insisted on your DCs going in on Christmas Day! It's not about 'one particular religion' trumping everything else, but about a large group of pupils who will not be able to attend their own leaving assembly on that date. The reason is a bit irrelevant, it's the practicality.

OP, would you expect your kids to attend for the assembly and then go home afterwards to celebrate Christmas ? No ?

You're being unreasonable. The only thing that is the problem here is that the school should have given consideration to this earlier.

Yes it's a shame you will have to miss it.

It would have been more of a shame for all of the Muslim children to have to miss their own leavers assembly.

What a shame

You are being unreasonable though

It's not all about you

I think it would be much more unreasonable for consideration of one person's inflexible work to trump the religious observance of a large group of children! Yabu.

There is no such thing as a "non faith school" in the UK.
Unfortunately.

If you're worried about sounding intolerant of others beliefs I would hazard a guess that that is exactly what you are.

Why should your children get to be home for Christmas and the Muslim children not get to be home for what is effectively theirs?