This Ontario teacher wants schools to be more open to Muslim student needs starting with prayer

FarhannaKhan has been juggling her work and faith since her daysstudying at university.

She recalls one instance when she was working as a teaching assistant andlether teacher know during class break, she was going to pray.

"She snapped at me in front of everybody, I never forgot it," said Khan. "She said to me, 'if you knew that you had to pray, why did you apply for this job?'"

"I started to shake I just said to her when it's my prayer time, I'm going to leave, and I'm gonna pray."

Khan now works as a teacher atOrchard Park Secondary School in east Hamilton, one of few Muslim teachers working for theHamilton-Wentworth District School Board(HWDSB).

The school board's 2021census showed that1.6 per cent of school staff identified asMuslim, whileat least21 per cent of students identified as such.

She says she doesn't want students at Ontario schoolstoexperience what she did andone wayto help prevent that is for staffto hear from students about what Muslim people face in school settings.

With the Muslim holy month of Ramadan underway, Khan invitedstudents, parents and staff from HWDSBto break fast (Iftar) with her Wednesday evening and hear from students, through skits they've prepared, on their day-to-day experiences.

She said 150 people from across the HWDSB are set to attend, including senior staff.

Test schedules sometimes conflict with Friday prayer

Students will be sharing, for instance,how they are sometimesforced to skip Friday prayerbecause of tests, which are oftenon Friday afternoons.

They will be advocating Wednesday for teachers to keep that in mind when they schedule tests in future.

"Friday prayers is such a huge aspect of the community, when we miss that it's just really sad for us," said Ayaan Musani, a Grade 11Orchard Park student who is part of the Wednesday event.

"[Growing up] we have cultural and religious ties with Friday prayers, and when it's taken awaydue to school, it's just a hard choice for us."

Musani said prayer is vital, especially through hard times and to help his mental health.

Grade10 studentNosheen Aminsaid there isn't "enough awareness about religion" in schools and said Khan's support for students like her has been so important.

"She's the one who ...pushes us to stand up for ourselves and our values and really bring them out there for the people that don't understand," Amin said.

Amin said anew Muslim Students Association (MSA), which launched last year at the school with Khan's help, has also been really beneficial to her.

"I would say we have a little friend group, which has been really amazing for me, because I feel like I found people that really understand me," Amin said.

HWDSBspokespersonShawn McKillopsaid themajority of secondary schools in Hamilton "have an MSA or are starting one at their school this year."

Support from school administration isvital, says teacher

Khan said she couldn't do what she's able to do for her students if it weren't for the school's support.

She said before working at Orchard Park, sometimes she'd have to find a corner to pray, "somewhere where [she] wouldn't be seen."

Orchard Park has a prayer room, which Khan says made her "super excited" when she started working there.

"This is the school where I don't have to hide in my car to pray. I don't have to go find some space quickly in the hallway," she said.

McKillop, with HWDSB, said students at all schools can be accommodated should they"wish to practice their religion by using a room for prayer."

Such spaces arean example, in Khan'sview, ofhow religion can still find a place in "publicly funded institutions," she said, adding it is different from putting prayer "on the announcements," for instance.

What is Orchard Parkdoing right? Senior managementlistens to staff, said Khan.

"I'm sure if we had funding, we would be able to do much more than we're doing. But with whatever we have, whatever [administration] can afford, here at this school, they're doing amazing," she said.