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Ban schools from serving halal meat to children without parents' consent

Submitted by Marilyn Laurence on Monday 24th August 2015

Published on Monday 24th August 2015

Current status: Closed

Closed: Wednesday 24th February 2016

Signatures: 36,371

Tagged with

Children ~ Schools

Petition Action

Ban schools from serving halal meat to children without parents' consent

Petition Details

The Government should require schools to obtain parental consent before school pupils are served halal or pre-stunned meat.

Additional Information

Muslims object when their children are fed pork - we as a Christian culture should have right to say that our children do not eat ritually blessed food without our knowledge.
School dinner ladies have been sacked for giving pork to muslim children but Christian children are fed halal everyday without their parents' knowledge or consent and against their beliefs.


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Government Response

The Government responded to this petition on Monday 28th September 2015

The government does not ban food on religious grounds in schools. Informed choices are best ensured by schools taking into account cultural, religious and dietary needs and working with parents.

The government does not have a role in banning food on religious grounds in schools. The issues and informed choices are best managed locally by schools taking into account cultural, religious and dietary needs and by working with parents.

The government sets out required minimum standards for school food in the School Food Standards to ensure children are served healthy, nutritious meals at school. The Standards do not specify food requirements in terms of cultural and religious needs The relevant regulations are published at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1603/pdfs/uksi_20141603_en.pdf

Head teachers, governors and their caterers are best placed to make decisions about their school food policies. We expect schools to act reasonably providing choices that take account of cultural, religious and special dietary needs and to work with parents in making appropriate arrangements. In particular schools should consult with parents when making changes to school food provision and ensure parents have access to information on the food provided. If parents are not happy with the food provided by the school they can take it up with the school and consider using the schools complaints policy.

Good practice suggests that suitable arrangements could include providing both halal and non-halal food each day, or ensuring that dishes are clearly labelled to allow pupils to select the appropriate choice.

Department for Education

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