A primary school in Tuzi unjustifiably rejected teacher’s request to attend Friday prayers

2026-02-21 - 07:46

‘Mahmut Lekic’ primary school in Tuzi unjustifiably rejected a teacher’s request to attend Friday prayers, thereby interfering with his right to freedom of religion, the Defender of Human Rights and Freedoms has assessed after acting upon a complaint filed by the teacher, who stated that the school principal had rejected his request to be excused from classes and other duties on Fridays during Friday prayers, despite the fact that, he claimed, his work schedule allowed for such an adjustment without disrupting teaching. In his complaint, the teacher noted that Friday prayers represented an obligatory part of Muslim religious practice and that his attendance would not have disrupted the educational process, as he could complete most of his teaching duties over two working days, with only one class remaining on Fridays. The school however responded that the Constitution guaranteed freedom of religion but didn’t provide for the right to be absent from work to attend Friday prayers, adding that the institution had no internal policy regulating the exercise of such a right. As an additional reason for the rejection, the school cited the need to avoid potential discrimination among employees. The Human Rights Defender, on the other hand, assessed the school’s justification wasn’t enough. “The rejection of the request was based on the absence of an internal policy, and there was no any individual assessment of whether the requested accommodation would have disrupted the educational process, which is contrary to freedom of religion standards,” the opinion states. It was noted that freedom of religion, guaranteed by the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights, includes the right to manifest one’s faith through religious observances, including prayer, and that employers are obliged, within reasonable limits, to seek to align employees’ work duties with their religious beliefs. Finally, the Human Rights Defender suggested that the should reconsider the teacher’s request and allow him to use his leave to attend Friday prayers, provided that it doesn’t disrupt the teaching process.