The pedagogues’ bizarre procedure was preceded by a conflict in the classroom, when Muslim children told a girl from a German family and her friend that she had to throw her snack in the trash because it was Ramadan. It is a class with 21 pupils between the ages of 10 and 12, and 17 of them have immigrant roots. One student recently left the class because he felt bullied, Bild newspaper wrote.
When the two girls went to complain to the teacher, he told them to turn around while eating so that the other students wouldn’t see their snack. The mother of one of the girls, Mirijam M., then contacted the class teacher. “I have enough understanding, but this is already going too far,” she wrote to her through a communication platform for educators and parents.
Auf ihrer Website nennt sich die Joseph Beuys Gesamtschule in Kleve stolz “Schule mit Courage” und “Schule der Vielfalt”. Doch seit Beginn des muslimischen Fastenmonats Ramadan wurde dort eine Anweisung erlassen, nach der Kinder sich beim Essen ihres Pausenbrots wegdrehen sollen. pic.twitter.com/K2xWzk3Wap
— Matthias V. Diener (@MDiener72345) March 7, 2026
The teacher replied that eating and drinking is “still perfectly fine” during school breaks. “But children who are not fasting should not be provoked with a snack or something similar. And that’s what happened in this case,” responded the teacher.
“In the best case, children should not watch each other eat or not, so that the rule of turning away applies to everyone,” she added.
“School without racism”
German children also complain that when they have a snack, their Muslim classmates deliberately make noises like vomiting or choking to make their food taste bad. One girl from the class allegedly faced bullying and insults that she was an “ugly German”.
“During the conversation with the teacher, my daughter said with tears in her eyes that she feels discriminated against in class. Especially during breaks, she is excluded from the team just because she is German,” described the situation by the mother of another schoolgirl, Stephanie B.
“Requiring our daughter to turn around while eating and drinking or otherwise hide her snack is a restriction of personal freedom,” said Mrs. Stephanie.
Both mothers also complained that the school never has a Christmas party, but that at the end of February they received an invitation to the so-called iftar, which is the evening meal with which Muslims break the daily fast during Ramadan after sunset.
“We would like to celebrate this exceptional event at the school, together with students, teachers and parents,” reads the invitation of the school management, which has the motto “School without racism” and “School with courage” on the building.
An einer Gesamtschule in Kleve sort der Ramadan für Aufruhr. Nicht-muslimische Schüler sollen ihr Essen verstecken, um fastenende Mitschüler nicht zu \”provozieren\”. Eine Mutter erhebt schwere Vorwürfe wegen Schikane und Isolation. Die Bezirksregieru… https://t.co/U3VcbsSAly pic.twitter.com/BLWCeWfiWo
— EXPRESS / EXPRESS.DE (@express24) March 7, 2026
The school inspectorate in Düsseldorf stated to the quoted newspaper that pupils must not be restricted and nobody must force them to any religiously motivated practices. “Cases where students try to impose religious rules on their classmates are closely monitored by schools,” the spokeswoman for the office assured, adding that inspectors would investigate the matter.
The Ministry of Education of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia made a similar statement. “The basis of school life in North Rhine-Westphalia is mutual respect and coexistence. The ministry therefore takes the described accusations seriously and will clarify them,” assured the ministry spokesman.
