I bag the Daily Telegraph a fair bit. But every now and then, they do deserve credit for treating a potentially provocative story (or one they could easily turn into a provocative story) in a sensitive or at least neutral manner.
And so I must congratulate the Tele and its reporter Vicki Campion for the story on Lurnea High School canteen now offering a halal manu. Instead of turning this into a story about political correctness gone mad or a creeping sharia-fication of our education system, the Tele reported it for what it was – kids wanting to eat canteen food, including the good old Aussie meat pie.
The report wasn't given a silly headline or accompanied by a picture of a woman in a face veil. It was just about canteen-volunteers and state schools meating the needs of their more culturally-diverse student population. And no doubt cashing in on the increased tuck-shop sales. Heck, why not?
Here are some excerpts ...
EVERY kid knows how to get what they want - and in Sydney's west it was only persistent badgering that brought halal food to the school tuckshop.
The technique worked at Lurnea Public School, which has become the latest of an estimated 40 schools from kindergarten to university to bring in halal food.
Muslim students, who make up more than 30 per cent of the school's population, can now eat meat pies, lasagne and spaghetti bolognaise at the school.
"We found that we were not catering to this community and they were coming to the canteen and asking for halal food," relieving principal Sandra Forman said.
"The other students have found this food just as good." A Department of Education spokeswoman said individual school communities were responsible for the food in canteens ...
Lurnea's canteen supervisor Rebecca Donkin said the children were excited about the new menu. She said halal food was no more difficult to prepare.
Full marks to the school, the Education Department and the Tele.
Words © 2008 Irfan Yusuf
