Exam boards set exams around Ramadan: further Islamisation of the UK

I was shocked to read that UK exam boards are trying to accommodate their exam timetable around the Islam period of 'Ramadan', because many Muslim parents starve their children through daylight hours in this period, and they can't concentrate at school.  I think it's a scandal that the UK doesn't treat the enforcement of Ramadan on children as child-abuse, let alone trying to accommodate it!  I wrote this letter to my MP.

Dear Mr Goodwill

ISLAMISATION OF THE UK

Media reports this week have reported that exam boards aim to avoid a clash for the next 3 years between exam season and the height of Ramadan, when Muslim pupils would be fasting.

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/jan/06/popular-exams-in-uk-to-be-rescheduled-to-avoid-ramadan

Before presenting my case against this, I want to acknowledge that Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) have issued a limited clarification that for the timetable for 2016, it was drafted over a year ago and will not be changing.

http://www.jcq.org.uk/media-centre/news-releases/jcq-statement---exam-timetables

The essence of the exam board consideration is that children are being deprived of food to meet a religious timetable, and they will do their best to compensate so far as exams are concerned in the scheduling of their examinations.

This is unacceptable.  If religion (in this case Islam) and secular values (in this case children's education) come into conflict, it MUST be the religion which makes the accommodation. 

The subject of children's sustenance has been studied in depth and been found to be closely linked to educational performance.  Government initiatives have consistently acknowledged the findings of these studies by applying nutritional standards and providing free school meals where they consider appropriate to make sure every child has a mid-day meal.

The appropriate response of exam boards, of schools and of government is not to pander to the demands of an implementation of the Islamic religion by mitigating the effect of religious deprivation, but to strongly overrule it: the education of children in the UK MUST NOT be compromised by religious consideration: it is Ramadan which must be held at fault if applied to school children: schools should be obliged to do their best to ensure children are well-nourished, and if there is evidence of deprivation to accommodate religious fanaticism, it should be reported to and investigated by Social Services.  The government should ensure the provision of public education to guide parents and the regulatory framework to ensure enforcement.

If I may say, Mr Goodwill, in previous correspondence you have allowed your Christian tradition to excuse child abuse and other iniquities: you allow it to cloud your vision. You have defended the right of parents to mutilate their sons' penises because of misplaced respect for religious sensibilities, and you defended the Polish Law & Justice party's homophobic stance by telling me they simply hold traditional Christian values.  It's time to wake-up and smell the coffee: religion is encroaching upon the common secular values of the majority in this country.  The influence of Islam, in particular, is being allowed to impose itself above the interests of humanity itself.  I urge you to recognise this and act accordingly.

Yours sincerely

- Andi Ye