Halimah was a secondary school student studying for her GCSEs. Going into her GCSE years, Halimah relied on her faith and five daily prayers at school as a way to settle her anxiety and de-stress from the hustle and bustle of the school day.
But Halimah’s school refused to allow Muslim students to pray indoors during lunch time, so she had to pray outdoors and sometimes in the rain.
Some of Halimah’s teachers would follow her during lunchtime to prevent her from completing her prayers. The lack of prayer space at school and being followed by her teachers seriously impacted Halimah’s spiritual and mental well-being.
Halimah’s mother saw her daughter’s mental health spiralling and contacted the IRU keen to make a change. We assisted her with the school’s complaint procedure, drafting a complaint letter on her behalf.
After receiving the letter, Halimah’s school introduced a new policy where school meeting rooms could be utilised as a prayer facility for students of all age groups and faiths.
The ability to pray inside and without harassment drastically improved Halimah’s mental health and allowed her to better cope with the stress of her studies.