A growing push in US schools to recognise Muslim, Jewish holidays

In Prince William, absences for religious holidays no longer counted against student’s attendance record

Muslim and Jewish students in Fairfax and Prince William counties in the US have long had to decide whether to observe a religious holiday or attend school, a choice some parents and students say they shouldn’t have to make.

“Eid is like our Christmas,” a resident said, her face brightening as she recalled the family’s traditions. “I grew up being so excited about Eid, and I wanted to raise my kids with that same excitement.”

But for her daughters, the warm memories faded each time schoolmates in Prince William County, in suburban Northern Virginia, were awarded per­fect-attendance certificates. The honour eluded Athman’s daughters, Nusaybah and Sumayyah, who were resentful because they missed school each year for the Muslim holidays, their mother said.



It’s a struggle diverse communities throughout the country have to face as they seek to accommodate students from different religious backgrounds.

In some cases, students feel they are compelled to choose between faith and school. “They don’t want to observe the holiday with their family because they don’t want to miss school,” said Meryl Paskow, a volunteer with the interfaith group Virginians Organised for Interfaith Community Engagement.

Earlier this year, the interfaith group persuaded school leaders in Northern Virginia to be more forgiving of students who miss tests because of a religious holiday. The Fairfax and Prince William superintendents agreed to keep tests and major school events from falling the day before or after major Muslim and Jewish holidays, but school remains in session on those holidays.

The change brings the two Northern Virginia school districts in closer alignment with other diverse school systems in the country, including several in Maryland, New York and New Jersey.

In Prince William, school absences for religious holidays are no longer counted against a student’s attendance record. That option would have provided Athman relief years ago.

“I want them to be proud of their heritage, to be proud of their religion,” the mother said. “It feels more like a competition when it shouldn’t be a competition. You should be able to practice your religion without having to compete with school.”

More than a year ago, the interfaith group — which addresses issues including affordable housing, health care and immigrant rights — adopted school religious holidays as a cause.

The interfaith group, however, made a request — no tests, major assignments or school events on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and the first night of Passover, as well as Eidul Fitr and Eidul Azha.

They delivered the request to Steven Lockard, then interim Superintendent in Fairfax, and Steven Walts, Superintendent in Prince William.



Fairfax teachers were directed not to schedule tests on certain religious holidays, and the district sends principals quarterly reminders, district spokesman John Torre said in an email. In Prince William, school district regulations were updated during the summer to say that students who miss school for religious observances would be allowed to make up work and tests.

Some school districts elsewhere in the country have made religious accommodations for decades by giving students the holiday off or excusing absences.

In New York, schoolchildren have been given Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur off since the 1960s, school district spokesman Michael Aciman said in an email. Eidul Fitr and Eidul Azha were added in the 2015-2016 school year.

“These school holidays help ensure that a significant number of NYC families and staff do not have to choose between observing a religious holiday and attending school,” Aciman said.

In Paterson, New Jersey, schools close for only one holiday for each major religion, schools spokeswoman Terry Corallo said in an email. For example, students have class off for only one of the Eid holidays, a decision the district makes in consultation with faith leaders.

Closing for all religious holidays would prevent the racially diverse district of about 28,000 students from reaching the number of school days mandated by the state, she said.

Montgomery County schools, in suburban Maryland, are closed on Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah and, after years of lobbying from local proponents, the school board voted in 2015 to give students the day off on Eidul Azha. About the same time, Howard County Public Schools in Maryland added days off on Eidul Azha, the eve of Lunar New Year and the Hindu holiday of Diwali.

This article originally appeared in The Washington Post.