A Calgary school has come under fire for their designation of the school cafeteria as a "no food space" during Ramadan.Fairview School, a middle school located near the Acadia neighbourhood of southern Calgary is located adjacent to a mosque and has a sizeable Muslim community.In a screenshot of an email that circulated widely on social media, the school administration writes that the cafeteria will be designated as a space where Muslim students can go while fasting to avoid other students eating their lunch.This screenshot was posted and reposted on social media sites such as Facebook and X/Twitter, with one Twitter post garnering almost a million views.In a statement addressing the issue, the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) did not deny the validity of the email but said that "the school in the social media post always has different grades eating in different spaces in the building. No changes have been made to these designated lunch areas. Students are still eating in designated lunch spaces.""During Ramadan, alternative foodless spaces and activities are available for fasting students so they are not around others who are eating. The school does not provide cafeteria food services," the statement from the CBE continues..The board also stated that the action undertaken by the school falls under their "Religion in Education" policy, which says that they should offer "reasonable accommodation" to students."The definition of reasonable accommodation can differ based on various factors, such as the specific needs of a student, the available resources and facilities of the school, and potential impact on others. If CBE can accommodate as requested, we should do so," the statement says.On the Fairfield School's website, under the 'Lunchtime' section, it states that they "no longer offer a cafeteria service" and that, other than Grades 8 and 9, students eat their lunch in their homerooms or their "designated lunch space."
