Minnesota School Faces Issue of Accommodating Students' Prayer Times

In Willmar, Minnesota, school officials are at odds with some Somali Muslim parents over how far the schools should go in accommodating students' need for prayer time. Minnesota Public Radio reported Tuesday that under an agreement reached with parents six years ago, Willmar Junior High School students are permitted to pray between classes and at lunch time. A few parents, however, who are stricter about precise punctuality for prayer times, want their children to be able to step out during class for five minutes to pray. School officials say this would be disruptive, though some teachers may have informally permitted the practice. [Thanks to Blog from the Capital for the lead.]