Kudos to the Minister of Education, YB Fadliana for reminding teachers to monitor school pupils who are ordered either by unthinking teachers or overzealous parents, to fast.

It was always clear to me that when she was appointed as Minister of Education, the fact that she has many children still of schooling age qualifies her significantly than old political veterans waiting for the grave.

The school must monitor the pupils in their care for some parents are not really the best at taking care of children when it comes to false religious understanding.

Muslims believe that when a child turns to puberty, then he or she must now be responsible for the pahala or dosa of a Muslim.

I used to believe that teaching of my ustaz but now I have my own thoughts on that matter as a Muslim who has gone through life and critical thinking as an academic.

So that’s why Muslim parents would require their children to practice fasting before their coming of age.

Well, I have never practiced that understanding for the simple reason that I don’t believe in it.

My main reason is simple. My child, my responsibility. Even at school, my child is still my responsibility. What do I mean? Well, it is my responsibility to see that the teachers are taking care of them well.

How do I do that? Senang saja! I ask my children every day: What did you learn today, Fatimah? Did any teacher scold you, Ibrahim. Why did he do so? What did he do, did he cubit or tampar? Why did the teacher make you stand on a chair? And so forth and so forth.

I will attempt to spot a bullying or an unworthy teacher early so that I can do something about it. My child, my responsibility.

Thus, with the issue of fasting, even though the minister has reminded teachers to monitor the children, the real culprit is the parents at home.

Did the child wake up for sahur and had a significant meal or just two pieces of bread with Nutella?

If the child had had a good meal, which is rare in the early morning at 5 am, then he or she will be allowed to fast. But, I will insist that the child break the fast when he or she comes home. Practice does not mean that you follow through like adults.

Actually, I do not agree that my children fast at a young age in school. This is because I cannot monitor them playing or sweating too much to the point of dehydration.

The changing climate has increased the ambient temperature several degrees and the rapid urbanization of our towns with more paved areas has added to the increase in heat at schools.

Thus, if a child faints from serious dehydration or malnutrition and starvation, then it is actually the parents’ fault, not really the teachers.

The school is only at fault when the stupid administrators order the pupils to fast because of a misguided understanding of religion.

Even if the administration does not say so, the culture of the school may impose a difficulty for Malay pupils whose parents do not allow then to fast to be embarrassed by friends and looked down by teachers.

This social phenomenon of embarrassing others is from my experience with children in religious school. That was why, against my wife’s wishes, I pulled my children out of an expensive religious school run by an Islamic NGO.

So, what I am saying here is that parents should understand that the conditions of climate and schooling time as well as social conditions have changed since they were in school.

Anyway, parents must understand that the child is an amanah or a trust of God and the grandparents for them to care.

As a grandparent, I clearly said to my daughter to make sure the boys eat well before school fasting and when they come back, the 11-year-old may continue but Ayah does not want the seven-year-old to fast for a full day.

One day, when I picked the children up at a religious school, the seven-year-old complained of hunger and I asked my daughter if the school had meals for them before fasting.

She said yes, the teachers told her that they would provide meals if the pupil asked. I asked my grandson whether the teacher gave him any meal and he shook his head. My daughter than asked one of the teachers and she said they didn’t give out meals during fasting.

Now that is the teacher’s and the school’s fault. Fadhliana should order all teachers to ask the pupils whether they have had sahur and what and how much they had eaten. If the answer is unsatisfactory, then the students must not be allowed to fast and a record of the parent’s negligence should be recorded.

Parents should then be called up by the school and reminded of their primary responsibility of feeding their children before coming to school.

Malays all want to go to heaven and collect as much pahala as they can, which include putting difficulty of pupils and teachers.

Teachers apparently also want to go to heaven and want more pahala for caring a fasting child.

I recommend these parents and teachers revisit their understanding of religion. Instead of going to heaven, God may decide to put then on the other extreme side because of their sins of child negligence.

Remember that our child is our responsibility alone, no one else’s and God will take account only with us parents.

(Prof Dr. Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is Professor of Architecture at a local university and his writing reflects his own personal opinion entirely.)