Sit exams early to fit in with Ramadan: Pupils taking GCSEs and A-levels face timetable shake-up to accommodate fasting Muslims

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SUMMARY:

Thousands of students from England, specially in London, will do the key exams to enter to the university earlier than other years. Some exams will start before Ramadan, while others will be in the morning, not in the afternoon. The muslim holy month means that believers avoid food and drinks during hours, eating before daylight and after dusk.

This change means that all the students will have less days to revise, but this has been done to avoid muslims students present themselves in exams with low energy and have a disadvantage over their mates.

Bearing in mind that muslims in England represent almost the 5%, and they are minority, the timetable change recieved so many negative reviews. The secretary of the Muslim Council of Britan said that the decision “is fair and just, but this is no a privilefe and it is within the JCQ policy”. JCQ and Muslim groups met to discuss the calendar of the exams according to Ramadan.

There were also teachers who talked about going into exams without eating and drinking could affect their results. Mary Bousted, secretary of ATL, said that “as educators we want all children to be able to achieve their best in exams that are so crucial to their future”.

VOCABULARY:

JCQ: Joint Council for Qualifications is a council acting as a single voice for the six largest qualification providers in the UK.

Dusk: nightfall, vespre

PERSONAL OPINION:

From my point of view, this change timetable is extraordinary. That an european country changes the dates of examinations just because Ramadan will affect the capacity of relatively small amount of muslim students is something that I never would have thought.

This fact shows the attention that they pay in their students, no matter their religious. I agree with the fact of all the students going into their exams in the same conditions, it is logical. It has really surprised me, because as a muslim, I see myself preparing my PAU exams sleeping all day and studying all night. In my case, it affects me almost one week, (Ramadan starts 6th June and Selectivitat the 14th).

When I read this new, I thought if it could be possible in Spain. But after thinking about it, I realized that I can't compare and advanced country like England with the currently Spain. How will Spain change something related with religions if it can't even make up the needs of an important part of the country as Catalonia?