The pediatrician Ferrando on the Ramadan alarm at school: “Confrontation is better than circulars”

«Children’s health should take precedence over anything. Then we should follow the path of dialogue and discussion, be more tolerant, rather than relying on formal communications with the risk of being misunderstood.” Alberto Ferrando, president of the association of extra-hospital paediatricians of Liguria, speaks on Ramadan in schools after the case, told by Republic, of the Maddalena Bertani comprehensive institute. In the school, a stone’s throw from the historic center of Genoa, the principal Michela Casareto, after some illnesses among the students, sent a circular in which she explains that in the event of “illnesses due to fasting”, the school is “required to intervene without only by calling the first aid workers or the emergency number, as well as of course the parents themselves, but also by reporting the situation to the manager for subsequent reporting to the Prosecutor’s Office at the Juvenile Court”.

What do you think of this story?

«There are three aspects to start from. The right to health of children, which must always take precedence over everything: but in this situation, the right to education and freedom of worship, which must be guaranteed, are also brought into play. Regarding the fact of turning to the Juvenile Court, as the manager explained, it is a last resort but it would have been better to focus on dialogue rather than withdraw into an attitude of rigidity”.

In the circular, the principal underlines that eight hours at school without being able to eat can be dangerous for your health.

«How can you blame her. So much so that Ramadan usually begins to be practiced at the age of puberty but cases in primary school are increasingly frequent. It is a practice that is part of family religious education and making a child fast from dawn to dusk certainly has repercussions. To have breakfast they have to wake up before dawn with the inevitable effect of arriving at lunchtime already tired. Children’s metabolism is accelerated, they need to eat often. So the little ones who follow Ramadan, with so many hours of fasting, first become boring, then sleepy and keeping their attention at school all day is very challenging. For such young children, more flexible methods are also granted which include, for example, fasting only on weekends when, in fact, they are not busy with school activities”.

What can be done to support them during this period?

«It is an issue that must be addressed in an increasingly multi-ethnic community. Similar cases have already emerged in cities such as Milan and Florence. To help schools and families, some advice can be followed, there are handbooks to support children in this delicate period.”

What are these recommendations?

«These are above all common sense indications. How to reduce activities, if possible, in the afternoon hours, when fasting children are inevitably more tired. Encourage checks and questions scheduled after the first week of Radaman to give students time to get used to new rhythms and schedule the tests in the early hours of the day. You can also reorganize the canteen timetable to allow students who don’t have lunch to rest, and avoiding eating in front of those who are fasting is a sign of sensitivity and respect. Why not directly involve the imam and the families to find a solution together? In an ideal world, instead of letting children go out, they could be gathered together in a classroom and given time to rest, but I understand that managers also have to deal with staff shortages and daily difficulties.”

Do you want to say something to the principal?

«I remain perplexed by the choice to send a circular rather than rely on a comparison. Instead of talking to each other through letters and formal communications, where the risk of being misunderstood is high, in cases like these it is better to inform the community directly, involving the interested parties to find a shared solution together for the good of the children. Sometimes the simplest choice is the best one.”