Row over Deepavali school holidays
The decision by two London councils to declare holidays on Deepavali, Guru Nanak’s birthday and Eid has sparked criticism from teachers and others who believe that it should be left to schools to decide which festivals should be declared as holidays.
The two London boroughs of Waltham Forest and Newham recently announced the new school calendar that includes a requirement to declare the days of the three festivals as holidays. But headteachers and others have openly criticised the decision.
Rachel MacFarlane, headteacher of Walthamstow School for Girls, said the school was frustrated by the holiday requirements. The decision is seen as an imposition even on those schools that have small number of students following Hindu, Sikh and Islam religion.
Councillor Liaquat Ali said: “I am aware of the concerns that have been raised and have asked that a review is carried out to identify exactly what holidays Waltham Forest’s children, parents and teachers feel are most appropriate.”
