Ramadan started early this month and in my experience as a boarder I’ve seen multiple people do their fasts and I want to share how it works not only as a boarder, but also in the UK.

Firstly, I am amazed by the amount of support being provided by our Housemasters and even school teachers. Cooperation was definitely a lot more than I expected it to be and it has far exceeded my expectations. People who were fasting were given the Common Room to pray, which is amazing as they all can pray together. The distribution of food was also at a very good pace and everyone could go up to the Dining Hall and get their halal food in a container to then eat later in Iftar after praying.

School has also raised pupils’ awareness, which has been great. Everyone had an Assembly in Chapel where Ramadan was explained, what fasting was and why people did it and pupils were incredibly understanding. Some pupils even stopped eating in front of others who were fasting as a gesture of kindness and understanding and events with food were organized in the Boarding Houses for after Iftar so nobody missed out.

Overall, in my experience as a boarder, everyone partaking in Ramadan and observing their fasts believe that it has been really well organized and that it has been handled with great care and understanding, which sometimes doesn’t even happen in schools in Muslim countries.