On the first day of Ramadan, many pupils in Vienna stayed away from school. “140 out of 400 children were absent from lessons at my school,” said an annoyed Viennese headmaster. This figure is likely to rise further in the coming years. Muslims celebrated the first day of Ramadan, the month of fasting, today, Wednesday – including in Vienna. Many pupils therefore stayed away from school. One secondary school has already declared April 10th a day off from school. However, many pupils in numerous other schools in the Austrian capital also did not attend lessons.
“140 out of 400 children didn’t turn up for lessons,” Christian Klar, headmaster of the Franz Jonas Europaschule in the 21st district and eXXpress columnist, told eXXpress angrily. This corresponds to more than one in three pupils at a compulsory school. He added: “I have also contacted other school headmasters, who have also confirmed the absence of numerous pupils.”
“I have no problem with students celebrating Eid with their families, but I have clearly announced that it is compulsory for students to come to class on Thursday and Friday,” Klar adds. In the interview, the long-serving headmaster once again draws attention to another problem: “Over the years, I have observed that the attitude of the pupils in the classes is becoming increasingly characterised by a particular religion. More and more children are therefore converting to Islam. In the next few years, the number of pupils not attending Eid will probably continue to increase.”
Ramadan-Ende: Jeder dritte muslimische Schüler bleibt zu Hause | Exxpress