Students not allowed to pray at school; Mainly Muslims affected

 

Tuesday, 25 February 2025 - 06:30

https://nltimes.nl/2025/02/25/students-allowed-pray-school-mainly-muslims-affected

 

Students not allowed to pray at school; Mainly Muslims affected

 

Students across the Netherlands are reporting bans on prayer during school hours, with some even facing punishments for attempting to pray at school. Over 180 secondary schools have been named by students who say they are not allowed to pray during breaks or between classes.

 

Many of the reports received by NOS Stories highlight that Muslim students are most affected by the ban, as their prayers must be performed at specific times and involve a ritual. Christian students also reported facing difficulty, as they are not allowed to pray during school hours either.

 

One student said, “They stop us when we pray,” while another shared, “I pray in secret, but if you get caught, you get punished.” Many students are left to find private spaces to pray, often doing so covertly or in areas outside of school grounds.

 

The College voor de Rechten van de Mens (Dutch Human Rights Council) has stated that schools are typically not within their legal rights to prohibit prayer. The Landelijk Aktie Komitee Scholieren (National Student Committee, or LAKS) expressed concern, calling the practice of banning prayer discriminatory.

 

“Not allowing students to pray is absolute discrimination,” said LAKS president Puk Donken. “In the society we live in, with people from various backgrounds, we don’t believe this has a place.”

 

According to the latest figures from CBS, about 35 percent of young people in the Netherlands consider themselves religious, and prayer is an important aspect of many religions. For Muslim students, in particular, praying five times a day is a significant part of their faith. “It makes you Muslim,” said student Meysa, explaining that for Muslims, there are fixed prayer times during the day, often falling during school hours.

 

Samira, another student, explained the challenge of missing a prayer time: “If you’re late, you have to catch up on the next prayer, and then you’re praying multiple times in a row. That doesn’t feel right.”

 

At the Stanislascollege Westplantsoen in Delft, Samira said she was often told by teachers to stop praying during lunch breaks in the cafeteria or the auditorium. “But now I’m getting approached more and more quickly,” she said. “The teacher would say, ‘Can you not do that here, can you go somewhere else?’”

 

In some cases, schools have written policies prohibiting prayer. However, most schools simply inform students verbally that praying is not allowed. One student at a different school reported that the principal told them, “If you continue with this, you should look for another school.”

 

At Samira and Meysa’s school, the rules around prayer are not explicitly stated, but they have been approached multiple times while praying. They’ve attempted to engage with the school administration, even submitting a petition for a designated prayer or quiet space.

 

Jeroen van der Kraan, the principal of Stanislascollege, responded by saying the school is open to all faiths but does not provide a designated prayer room. He explained that the school does not see a widespread demand for such a space, and there are sufficient religious facilities nearby, such as churches, synagogues, and mosques. However, he noted that “every student is free to close their eyes and think about God.”

 

The College voor de Rechten van de Mens clarified that while schools are not required to provide a designated prayer space, they cannot outright ban prayer during a student’s own time at school. For public schools, this would be a violation of the law.

 

For private religious schools, such as Christian institutions, the situation may differ. These schools can set policies that align with their religious teachings and may restrict practices that contradict their faith. However, they must be able to prove that these restrictions are necessary.

 

The LAKS recommends that students affected by such policies approach their school’s administration. “Make your voice heard and know that you have certain rights,” Puk Donken advised. Students can also reach out to the LAKS complaints hotline for further support.