Ramadan Mubarak! Showing compassion for students & staff celebrating the month of fasting
From right to left, education assistant Zahraa Dean with her family, Mohammed Dean, Aasim Dean, Zakiyyah Dean, Shabina Dean and Zainab Dean. Zahraa developed an informative PowerPoint slideshow on how students and staff can be more culturally sensitive to how the religious observance of Ramadan may affect students in class, particularly with fasting.
Ramadan is upon us, and now that students are back in school following spring break, the district is recognizing the Month of Compassion by promoting a better understanding of how to support students and staff in their faith and become more culturally sensitive to others’ religious practices.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, during which Muslims pray, reflect, give to community, and fast between sunrise and sunset. Last year, Surrey education assistant Zahraa Dean created an informative PowerPoint slideshow on how the religious observance may affect students and staff, particularly with fasting.
“Not too long ago, I was a student too,” said Dean. “I remember being in a P.E. class and I had peers who would fast but the teachers weren’t knowledgeable on what Ramadan was and how it affects us in the classroom.
“I feel it’s really important for both students and educators, any staff in the school building, to know about Ramadan just like how we learn about other traditions in school settings.”
Ramadan begins and ends with the appearance of the crescent moon, signifying the start and end of a 30-day fast. Muslims partake in suhur, a breakfast before dawn, and iftar, a meal to break their fast at sunset, but otherwise abstain from food or drink throughout the day. Children, nursing and pregnant women, the elderly, people who are ill and travellers are exempt from fasting.
Dean emphasizes empathy and understanding for students and staff who may be fasting, noting schools can accommodate them by assigning less strenuous tasks for physical education and offering an area for Muslim students during lunch that is separate from peers who are eating.
“It’s really important to have a specific space available in elementary and secondary schools to accommodate students who are fasting,” she said. “It supports their faith and acknowledges that fasting can be a tough time for them.”
Dean received a lot of positive feedback last year for her efforts to improve the understanding of Ramadan, and said she hopes her work to start the conversation will keep the dialogue going so schools will become more mindful for other religious observances that may impact students and staff.
“I really want to be as accommodating as I can and spread the word for those students to feel they’re being supported and they’ll remember it and they’ll talk about it,” she said. “I feel it can go a really long way.”
