Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: Friday Prayer Mohammad joined my fifth grade classroom in mid-September. It has been about five months since he arrived, and he has been doing a great job on all subjects. He does not cause any discipline problems. He and his family are Muslims. My only problem with Mohammad comes every Friday. The 5th grade team at my school does weekly testing on Fridays to monitor student progress in Reading and Math. Therefore, we need all the students at school on Friday. Mohammad's father wants to take him to Friday prayer every week. I did some research and found out that the Friday prayer is a special prayer in the Muslim world. I want to respect their religion, but because of the Friday prayer, Mohammad has been missing the weekly tests. I talked to my colleagues to entertain the idea of changing the time of the test, but it does not seem possible because of the special area courses and other obligations we have on Fridays. So, my only other option is to ask Mohammad's father. I do not know how to go about this? Should I ask him? What if he says his son must go to the Friday prayer every week? What do I do then? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) This is a very touchy subject. I think you definitely need to have a conference with the boys father. Explain to him that while his religion is very important, so are his academics. Maybe ask him if the boy can stay late on Thursday or possibly come in early on Friday morning to get testing done. This would require you to come in early or stay late one day but it might be the only option. You could possibly suggest that the boy stays at school for his prayer time and you could find a quiet place the boy could go during his prayer time and that would eliminate some of the time used to drive to prayer and back. Both his religion and academics are important and both you and the father are going to have to compromise and find a middle ground that satisfies his academics and religion.                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: Rated On: February 11, 2013 2:56 pm Rated By: Rachael Beck                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: Rated On: March 2, 2013 11:56 pm Rated By: eruHeB                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: Good solution. I like how it stresses the importance of the religious beliefs as well as the academic success of the student. Rated On: October 14, 2014 7:43 pm Rated By: Megan Lee                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: I agree. Finding compromises is the best way to go. Rated On: October 20, 2014 1:02 am Rated By: HeMury                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: This is a perfect solution. These suggestions to the teacher and father are respectful and well thought out. Rated On: October 21, 2014 2:20 am Rated By: yVuLyR                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: Working with the father is so important, and respecting his beliefs in this way is good. Rated On: March 2, 2015 1:32 am Rated By: Qebysu                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: I would do exactly this. Rated On: October 27, 2015 2:32 am Rated By: yheGaQ                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) No The suggested solution is relevant to the case No The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement No The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue No The suggested solution is original No Comments: To many people (and rightfully so), religion is actually more important than academics. It's also illegal to prohibit a student from practicing their religion. A conference with the father would be a good idea, but in the conference, you should bring up ideas such as staying after school to finish the tests. Do not ask him to change his ways. Rated On: March 2, 2016 10:54 pm Rated By: daPaJa                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) No The suggested solution is relevant to the case No The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement No The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue No The suggested solution is original No Comments: Although I feel that this is trying to compromise, this seems to only having the school win. There should be a way of accommodating the tests. Rated On: March 7, 2016 3:54 am Rated By: Cynthia Juez                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: I like this solution. I would do this. i think putting students first no matter the inconvience for the teacher. Rated On: October 17, 2016 2:57 am Rated By: Raven B                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: I agree, have a conference with him and discuss possible exceptions since both their religion and academics are important. Rated On: March 6, 2017 3:03 am Rated By: avenyB                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) No The suggested solution is relevant to the case No The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement No The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue No The suggested solution is original No Comments: I don't think this solution is fair to the child to make them stay afterwards. Rated On: March 6, 2017 6:00 pm Rated By: jyHyHy                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: If I were in this situation, I would exactly do this Rated On: February 26, 2018 12:31 am Rated By: DuTepy