dedicated prayer rooms may be part of new approach by province’s schoolsdedicated prayer rooms may be part of new approach by province’s schoolsdedicated prayer rooms may be part of new approach by province’s schools

Waterloo area
Go through the wooden doors and enter a secluded, carpeted room with sacred books and prayer mats, and it\'s hard to believe you\'re at school.
But this is the beginning of a new phase for public and Catholic schools, where prayer rooms may become commonplace.
According to the province-wide policy, the school board must be more inclusive and accommodate different beliefs during the school day.
This may mean that for Muslim students and fast students who pray five times a day, it is a private place, a reformed physical education class and a separate room for them, so they don\'t have to watch their peers eat lunch.
Atieh Noori, 27year-
Old Muslim students in the Holy
The Louis adult learning and continuing education center in the city center of kidina uses the prayer room for noon prayer every lunch time.
Noori didn\'t have time to pray after school, so she appreciated the space.
\"It\'s quiet and light,\" the Afghan said. \"No one is bothering me . \"
Born in Noori, he came to Canada through Iran in 2007. At St.
Louis, the prayer room was set up about eight years ago to accommodate many Britonsas-a-second-
Language students at school.
The newly adopted faith and accommodation policy provides that every student has the right to follow his or her beliefs without discrimination or harassment.
Areas of reasonable accommodation include compliance with major religious holy days and celebrations, prayers and ceremonies, dietary requirements and fasting, religious costumes, and participation in school courses and extra-curricular activities.
\"Someone\'s faith is part of them.
\"Inclusion of them will bring understanding and show that we respect them,\" said Cindy Watson, trustee of public schools . \".
There are very few prayer rooms for regional schools.
If Muslim students ask for a place to pray, they are often sent to the deputy
The principal\'s office or empty classroom.
Some secondary school principals say even requests are rare.
At Catholic high school, school churches allow silent prayer, but Muslim students say their prayers are prohibited from entering the church, the board\'s religious family life and equity advisers, Jonathan Wright said.
Wright says a Canadian bishop\'s decree says only Catholic prayers are allowed before the Eucharist.
Inclusion of faith can be a delicate issue, especially in the secular public school system.
Some critics of this policy believe that if the school does not recite the Lord\'s Prayer, then why should other beliefs be recognized?
Public School principal Peter Rubenschuh says a policy ensures that standards are followed and everyone is treated fairly.
\"Parents and students want to be heard and respected,\" he said . \".
\"They want recognition and respect.
Finding a suitable prayer space for students does not mean \"putting them in the mud room\", but rather finding a private space while supervising them, says Rubenschuh.
Religious leaders say there is a clear difference between accommodating religion in the classroom and converting to religion.
\"You can\'t tell Muslim students not to fast,\" said Waterloo mother Idrisa Pandit . \".
\"They did not ask others to pray with them.
The alliance of local faith groups \"the inter-religious River\" does not support the promotion of religion to anyone.
The Board of Public Schools has continued for decades in the recent jidian Bible controversy --
Members of the organization told the trustees that religious texts should not be distributed in the classroom, which is a long-term policy to distribute the Bible to fifth-grade students.
Pandit, a member of the great inter-religious River, said: \"religious accommodation provides an inclusive environment for all people who believe or do not believe, and does not give priority to any kind of belief or belief.
\"It is wrong to confuse or equate accommodation with allowing various religious groups to distribute religious texts to children in public schools, especially if they openly invite conversion to Islam,\" she said . \".
Imam Shafik Huda of the Islamic Humanitarian Service Centre in kidina, also a member of the inter-religious River, hudda said, he is pleased to see that the school board houses students of all faiths in a secular system, which does not mean that the beliefs that are accommodated are \"occupied by rammed \".
When he was a student at Cameron Highland College, Hudda said he prayed in the health room and was always treated fairly by the teachers who provided him with space. Hudda’s 14-year-
The ninth-grade student of kichena Huron Highland Middle School, the old son minghar, prayed three times a day, although his faith told his followers to pray five times a day.
Minhaal prefers to pray twice after returning home from school to compensate for his midday prayers.
During Ramadan, the month of Islamic fasting ended in early September, and Minhaal said his PE teacher asked him if he was OK in football training.
\"Sometimes it\'s hard because I can\'t drink, but we\'re outdoors and I\'m fine,\" said Minhaal . \".
\"The teachers are very good.
Local Catholic high schools also welcome students of different faiths.
Open admission means that any student within the boundaries of the school can attend a Catholic high school, regardless of their beliefs.
More and more Muslim parents choose Catholic High School as an alternative to their children.
\"It\'s not a tradition for them to grow up, but they love the divine feeling, something bigger than them,\" said Vice President Joan glenddi. Principal in Saint
Mary\'s High School. Grundy said St.
Mary did not receive any request from a Muslim student who wanted another prayer room.
At Ryerson public school in Cambridge, nearly half of the 400 students are Muslim or Sikh backgrounds, and staff there have been taking care of students long before the policy was introduced.
Principal Peter Berndt said that during Ramadan, some students asked to go to another room at lunch so that they did not have to watch their peers eat while fasting.
\"When you make a policy, it already reflects what you are doing,\" he said . \".
\"We are a learning environment and we maximize learning opportunities in a relaxed and casual way,\" Berndt said . \".
L Monteiro @ therecord.
Comments on the story have now closed the Waterloo area
Go through the wooden doors and enter a secluded, carpeted room with sacred books and prayer mats, and it\'s hard to believe you\'re at school.
But this is the beginning of a new phase for public and Catholic schools, where prayer rooms may become commonplace.
According to the province-wide policy, the school board must be more inclusive and accommodate different beliefs during the school day.
This may mean that for Muslim students and fast students who pray five times a day, it is a private place, a reformed physical education class and a separate room for them, so they don\'t have to watch their peers eat lunch.
Atieh Noori, 27year-
Old Muslim students in the Holy
The Louis adult learning and continuing education center in the city center of kidina uses the prayer room for noon prayer every lunch time.
Noori didn\'t have time to pray after school, so she appreciated the space.
\"It\'s quiet and light,\" the Afghan said. \"No one is bothering me . \"
Born in Noori, he came to Canada through Iran in 2007. At St.
Louis, the prayer room was set up about eight years ago to accommodate many Britonsas-a-second-
Language students at school.
The newly adopted faith and accommodation policy provides that every student has the right to follow his or her beliefs without discrimination or harassment.
Areas of reasonable accommodation include compliance with major religious holy days and celebrations, prayers and ceremonies, dietary requirements and fasting, religious costumes, and participation in school courses and extra-curricular activities.
\"Someone\'s faith is part of them.
\"Inclusion of them will bring understanding and show that we respect them,\" said Cindy Watson, trustee of public schools . \".
There are very few prayer rooms for regional schools.
If Muslim students ask for a place to pray, they are often sent to the deputy
The principal\'s office or empty classroom.
Some secondary school principals say even requests are rare.
At Catholic high school, school churches allow silent prayer, but Muslim students say their prayers are prohibited from entering the church, the board\'s religious family life and equity advisers, Jonathan Wright said.
Wright says a Canadian bishop\'s decree says only Catholic prayers are allowed before the Eucharist.
Inclusion of faith can be a delicate issue, especially in the secular public school system.
Some critics of this policy believe that if the school does not recite the Lord\'s Prayer, then why should other beliefs be recognized?
Public School principal Peter Rubenschuh says a policy ensures that standards are followed and everyone is treated fairly.
\"Parents and students want to be heard and respected,\" he said . \".
\"They want recognition and respect.
Finding a suitable prayer space for students does not mean \"putting them in the mud room\", but rather finding a private space while supervising them, says Rubenschuh.
Religious leaders say there is a clear difference between accommodating religion in the classroom and converting to religion.
\"You can\'t tell Muslim students not to fast,\" said Waterloo mother Idrisa Pandit . \".
\"They did not ask others to pray with them.
The alliance of local faith groups \"the inter-religious River\" does not support the promotion of religion to anyone.
The Board of Public Schools has continued for decades in the recent jidian Bible controversy --
Members of the organization told the trustees that religious texts should not be distributed in the classroom, which is a long-term policy to distribute the Bible to fifth-grade students.
Pandit, a member of the great inter-religious River, said: \"religious accommodation provides an inclusive environment for all people who believe or do not believe, and does not give priority to any kind of belief or belief.
\"It is wrong to confuse or equate accommodation with allowing various religious groups to distribute religious texts to children in public schools, especially if they openly invite conversion to Islam,\" she said . \".
Imam Shafik Huda of the Islamic Humanitarian Service Centre in kidina, also a member of the inter-religious River, hudda said, he is pleased to see that the school board houses students of all faiths in a secular system, which does not mean that the beliefs that are accommodated are \"occupied by rammed \".
When he was a student at Cameron Highland College, Hudda said he prayed in the health room and was always treated fairly by the teachers who provided him with space. Hudda’s 14-year-
The ninth-grade student of kichena Huron Highland Middle School, the old son minghar, prayed three times a day, although his faith told his followers to pray five times a day.
Minhaal prefers to pray twice after returning home from school to compensate for his midday prayers.
During Ramadan, the month of Islamic fasting ended in early September, and Minhaal said his PE teacher asked him if he was OK in football training.
\"Sometimes it\'s hard because I can\'t drink, but we\'re outdoors and I\'m fine,\" said Minhaal . \".
\"The teachers are very good.
Local Catholic high schools also welcome students of different faiths.
Open admission means that any student within the boundaries of the school can attend a Catholic high school, regardless of their beliefs.
More and more Muslim parents choose Catholic High School as an alternative to their children.
\"It\'s not a tradition for them to grow up, but they love the divine feeling, something bigger than them,\" said Vice President Joan glenddi. Principal in Saint
Mary\'s High School. Grundy said St.
Mary did not receive any request from a Muslim student who wanted another prayer room.
At Ryerson public school in Cambridge, nearly half of the 400 students are Muslim or Sikh backgrounds, and staff there have been taking care of students long before the policy was introduced.
Principal Peter Berndt said that during Ramadan, some students asked to go to another room at lunch so that they did not have to watch their peers eat while fasting.
\"When you make a policy, it already reflects what you are doing,\" he said . \".
\"We are a learning environment and we maximize learning opportunities in a relaxed and casual way,\" Berndt said . \".
L Monteiro @ therecord.
Comments on the story have now closed the Waterloo area
Go through the wooden doors and enter a secluded, carpeted room with sacred books and prayer mats, and it\'s hard to believe you\'re at school.
But this is the beginning of a new phase for public and Catholic schools, where prayer rooms may become commonplace.
According to the province-wide policy, the school board must be more inclusive and accommodate different beliefs during the school day.
This may mean that for Muslim students and fast students who pray five times a day, it is a private place, a reformed physical education class and a separate room for them, so they don\'t have to watch their peers eat lunch.
Atieh Noori, 27year-
Old Muslim students in the Holy
The Louis adult learning and continuing education center in the city center of kidina uses the prayer room for noon prayer every lunch time.
Noori didn\'t have time to pray after school, so she appreciated the space.
\"It\'s quiet and light,\" the Afghan said. \"No one is bothering me . \"
Born in Noori, he came to Canada through Iran in 2007. At St.
Louis, the prayer room was set up about eight years ago to accommodate many Britonsas-a-second-
Language students at school.
The newly adopted faith and accommodation policy provides that every student has the right to follow his or her beliefs without discrimination or harassment.
Areas of reasonable accommodation include compliance with major religious holy days and celebrations, prayers and ceremonies, dietary requirements and fasting, religious costumes, and participation in school courses and extra-curricular activities.
\"Someone\'s faith is part of them.
\"Inclusion of them will bring understanding and show that we respect them,\" said Cindy Watson, trustee of public schools . \".
There are very few prayer rooms for regional schools.
If Muslim students ask for a place to pray, they are often sent to the deputy
The principal\'s office or empty classroom.
Some secondary school principals say even requests are rare.
At Catholic high school, school churches allow silent prayer, but Muslim students say their prayers are prohibited from entering the church, the board\'s religious family life and equity advisers, Jonathan Wright said.
Wright says a Canadian bishop\'s decree says only Catholic prayers are allowed before the Eucharist.
Inclusion of faith can be a delicate issue, especially in the secular public school system.
Some critics of this policy believe that if the school does not recite the Lord\'s Prayer, then why should other beliefs be recognized?
Public School principal Peter Rubenschuh says a policy ensures that standards are followed and everyone is treated fairly.
\"Parents and students want to be heard and respected,\" he said . \".
\"They want recognition and respect.
Finding a suitable prayer space for students does not mean \"putting them in the mud room\", but rather finding a private space while supervising them, says Rubenschuh.
Religious leaders say there is a clear difference between accommodating religion in the classroom and converting to religion.
\"You can\'t tell Muslim students not to fast,\" said Waterloo mother Idrisa Pandit . \".
\"They did not ask others to pray with them.
The alliance of local faith groups \"the inter-religious River\" does not support the promotion of religion to anyone.
The Board of Public Schools has continued for decades in the recent jidian Bible controversy --
Members of the organization told the trustees that religious texts should not be distributed in the classroom, which is a long-term policy to distribute the Bible to fifth-grade students.
Pandit, a member of the great inter-religious River, said: \"religious accommodation provides an inclusive environment for all people who believe or do not believe, and does not give priority to any kind of belief or belief.
\"It is wrong to confuse or equate accommodation with allowing various religious groups to distribute religious texts to children in public schools, especially if they openly invite conversion to Islam,\" she said . \".
Imam Shafik Huda of the Islamic Humanitarian Service Centre in kidina, also a member of the inter-religious River, hudda said, he is pleased to see that the school board houses students of all faiths in a secular system, which does not mean that the beliefs that are accommodated are \"occupied by rammed \".
When he was a student at Cameron Highland College, Hudda said he prayed in the health room and was always treated fairly by the teachers who provided him with space. Hudda’s 14-year-
The ninth-grade student of kichena Huron Highland Middle School, the old son minghar, prayed three times a day, although his faith told his followers to pray five times a day.
Minhaal prefers to pray twice after returning home from school to compensate for his midday prayers.
During Ramadan, the month of Islamic fasting ended in early September, and Minhaal said his PE teacher asked him if he was OK in football training.
\"Sometimes it\'s hard because I can\'t drink, but we\'re outdoors and I\'m fine,\" said Minhaal . \".
\"The teachers are very good.
Local Catholic high schools also welcome students of different faiths.
Open admission means that any student within the boundaries of the school can attend a Catholic high school, regardless of their beliefs.
More and more Muslim parents choose Catholic High School as an alternative to their children.
\"It\'s not a tradition for them to grow up, but they love the divine feeling, something bigger than them,\" said Vice President Joan glenddi. Principal in Saint
Mary\'s High School. Grundy said St.
Mary did not receive any request from a Muslim student who wanted another prayer room.
At Ryerson public school in Cambridge, nearly half of the 400 students are Muslim or Sikh backgrounds, and staff there have been taking care of students long before the policy was introduced.
Principal Peter Berndt said that during Ramadan, some students asked to go to another room at lunch so that they did not have to watch their peers eat while fasting.
\"When you make a policy, it already reflects what you are doing,\" he said . \".
\"We are a learning environment and we maximize learning opportunities in a relaxed and casual way,\" Berndt said . \".
L Monteiro @ therecord.