Catalonia in Focus: Traditional Spanish Cuisine Yields to Halal Offerings in Schools – A Concerned Mother Decries “Silent Indoctrination” and Ignites Debate on Cultural Identity and the Education System.
A remarkable shift in food provision is currently underway in several schools across Catalonia, extending far beyond mere menu design. In light of increasing Muslim immigration, traditional Spanish dishes are being replaced more and more frequently with exclusively Halal menus. This, it is argued, serves to reduce costs and adapt to the changing composition of the student body. A Catalan mother recently sharply criticized this development at a public event held by the VOX party, thereby igniting a profound debate about cultural identity, education policy, and integration in Spain.
Loss of Choice: Halal as the Only Option?
The concerned mother emphatically reported that for months her daughter has had no alternative to Halal chicken and turkey. Typical dishes of the Spanish diet have disappeared from the menus. “Our children no longer have the choice to choose,” she lamented, emphasizing that this imposition of food is merely a symptom of a much larger problem: the loss of their own cultural and historical references. Her criticism also targeted what she perceives as a lack of knowledge among many students about key figures in Spanish history, such as the Catholic Monarchs or Lope de Vega. “It is very sad that a student in the first year of baccalaureate does not know who the Catholic Monarchs were,” she stated emphatically.
Catalan as an Exclusion Factor and Ideological Pressure
Another point of her criticism was the increasing dominance of Catalan in school communication. All school emails were sent exclusively in this language, disadvantaging families who are not native Catalan speakers. The speaker went further, accusing the education system of excluding families who do not align with its prevailing ideology. “If you do not accept indoctrination, they exclude you from the system, but then they try to keep your children,” she said, defending the view that schools are ceasing to be neutral spaces and are instead becoming instruments of ideological pressure.
Mixed-Gender Toilets and the Search for Representation
A particularly emotional aspect of her speech was the rejection of gender-neutral toilets in schools. She questioned why her daughter could not be guaranteed access to a toilet designated exclusively for girls. “Why do they have to be mixed-gender toilets so that no one feels offended, even if they don’t even know who they are?” she asked rhetorically, referring to the gender identity policy implemented in some centers.
The mother concluded her speech with a clear endorsement of VOX as the only political party that, in her opinion, defends the families affected by this type of change. “They have fought in the shadows for a long time, with no one listening to them, but here we are,” she said, emphasizing that her party is ready to give a voice to those she believes have been ignored by the rest of the political spectrum. The debate over Halal menus in schools is thus only one part of a multifaceted discourse on integration, cultural adaptation, and the role of the education system in Spain.
