The Accord Coalition has welcomed a decision by the Joint Council for Qualifications to set the times and dates of some school exams this summer so as reduce any negative impact on the performance of pupils observing Ramadan. Observance of Ramadan requires abstaining from eating or drinking in daylight hours, and some exams this year have been scheduled to take place either before Ramadan begins or otherwise earlier in the day, to avoid effects from fatigue.
Chair of the Accord Coalition for Inclusive Education, Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, said ‘Adjustments should be made to accommodate others, especially when doing so does not cause much practical difficulty. These small changes enacted by the Joint Council for Qualifications are therefore to be welcomed.’
‘However, the principle of trying to make accommodation for others, so as to be inclusive and to make sure they are not disadvantaged, should be applied much more consistently in our education system. We are currently a long way from achieving this, such as with the chance of many children being admitted to good schools determined by whether their parents are of the right faith or not, and with many pupils not having their autonomy properly respected because schools teach in a way where it is hoped students may end up thinking in a certain way about matters of religion and belief. Many of our state funded schools are only at the start of embracing more deeply a consideration for others.’
