Massachusetts Muslims, Know Your Rights!

Help your child have a successful Ramadan at school

This information is intended to help you work with your child’s public school so your child can succeed at school while celebrating Ramadan.  CAIR-MA also created a flyer that you can give to your child’s teachers.  It explains Ramadan and suggests things that schools can do to accommodate their Muslim students during Ramadan. 

Issue where the law is clear: excused absence for Eid al-Fitr.  Under Massachusetts law, your child has the right to be excused from attending school or from “participating in any examination, study, or work requirement” on religious holidays. Check the school’s requirements on notifying the school that your child will not be in classes for Eid.  Your child also has the right to make up any missed work — so long as the makeup exam or work does not create an “unreasonable burden” on the school.

Issues you will need to discuss with your child’s school.  For any other changes to your child’s schedule or the school’s policies – called “accommodations” – Massachusetts law does not provide clear answers.  Instead, you will need to discuss with the school what may be possible.  If there are other Muslim students at your child’s school, a group of parents may want to meet with school officials to discuss helpful accommodations.

Here are some accommodations you might want to request for your child:

• Prayer breaks in a clean and quiet area
• A quiet space at lunchtime, separate from students who are eating
• Rescheduling major exams and assignments
• Excused absences from physical education/sports
• Food break at sunset for late afternoon classes or activities

Accommodations request form.  Use this form to ask your child’s school for help meeting your child’s needs during Ramadan.  Just fill in your own information where we used italics and check the accommodations your child needs.  Then email it to your school.  You can also print it out and give it to your school, but be sure to keep a copy if you do that.   

If you have any questions or need help, please contact CAIR-MA at 617-862-9159 or info@ma.cair.org.