Swedish right-wing led municipality ends pork-free school meals
The political management in Staffanstorp wants the schools in the municipality to stop offering alternatives to pork.
According to a proposal that will soon be raised in the Educational Board, Staffanstorp schools will no longer offer a meat alternative to those who don’t eat pork, Nyheter Idag reports. Instead, they will be offered vegetarian food on the days that pork is on the menu. Those who, for medical reasons, are entitled to special diets will receive it.
“We cannot, with tax money, take into account various religious dietary requirements. Everything costs and we must therefore prioritise – and spend our tax money on core activities, such as education”, writes Chairman of the Municipal Board Christian Sonesson on Facebook.
Newspaper Sydsvenskan interviews a mother whose sons don’t eat pork for religious reasons. She says that the proposal sends the message that not everyone is welcome in Staffanstorp. “I have nothing against vegetarian food, but this is not about food, but about politics and humanitarianism”, she says.
Åsa Ekstrand, Chairman of the Educational Board, denies that this would be discrimination against certain religions. “There are other groups than Muslims who don’t eat pork and the decision applies to them as well. And anyone can eat the vegetarian option”, she says.
According to the action programme that the Moderates and the Sweden Democrats have developed for the period 2019 – 2022, the municipality’s activities must be free from ‘special cultural requirements’. “For example, separate swimming hours or similar. And the municipality’s activities must also be free from religious expressions, such as ritual slaughtered meat”, the political majority states firmly.
https://voiceofeurope.com/2019/01/swedish-right-wing-led-municipality-ends-pork-free-school-meals/