To think a school can't legally suddenly ban the headscarf for muslin girls!

[Headscarfs123]

So our local catholic school has banned the headscarf this week...disastrous for some of the girls but also against church advice that headscarfs are fine, against DFES advice about consultation and sensitivity to religious groups, against best practice as this type of change should involve the governing body? discriminatory on religious and sexist grounds...Sikh boys can keep their turbans.

Aibu to think that the school is legally in the wrong?

Pretty sad if decide to cover their faces.

why is it sad?

How isn't it sad?

A girl chooses to remove herself from mainstream society.

In the context of British society, the veil is rude. It goes against everything we believe in.

Christianity teaches us to not hide your light beneath a bushel. As a Brit, I find it deplorable that a pretty girl - and God knows, we ain't pretty for long - should disguise herself in this fashion.

I think it's a bit rich that people settle here, resolutely adopt their own customs, which seem bizarre to us, and then take issue.

Because we Brits have never done that..

Jesus Christ might well be at the centre, but grammar has obviously been pushed off the edge of that website....

I would be far happier that my child chose to stay mainstream. And a religious expression that is that extreme is far more debilitating than getting your nose pierced. In fact religion or drugs are my two worst nightmares for my teens, extreme of course.

And Islam may be something British people do but most of those have British in amongst a few other descriptions, many (and I can't see why they wouldn't) are British something and would cheer India/Pakistan/whatever in a football/cricket match. Their customs/culture are tied with their community. Quite understandable.

Sorry I can't trawl through 27 pages, am on my phone, has OP found out why the school is doing this?

Right my 2 pence

Parents should look at a school uniform policy before entering their child if goes against what they like then send you child to a different school

I have many objections to the head scarf as long as its the school colours and is worn in the less obtrusive way possible but I draw the line and the long black thing and the one that covers the face

As as for it being the girls choice my dd has just stared high school with a high Asian population and has told me most of the Muslim girls in his class take off the head scarf and only put it on at home time

Now what dose that tell you

I have no strong emotions about the scrf were you face can be seen but I do think banning it allows the girls to develop their own view wether they want to were it or not with out parental pressure .

Bugger set posie off :)

Veil isn't involved is what I should have typed. Was talking with someone else explaining that right to wear veils has been successfully challenged whilst right to headscarfs has not...

Why head is doing it? Think he is now claiming it is an established rule that he just had to uphold. Not that it appeared anywhere or has been upheld previously. I would guess at quite unpleasant motivations.

Put so what its his school

We have a Muslim girls school across the road my dd 2 would not be allowed to attend unless she wore the head scarf

Whats the difference

What they he may feel some of his students are being made to were it like they clearly are at dds school and might want to give them some respite

Even the sikh school they must all cover their hair and non particting Sikh have to were a little bandana

Riven, do you have to do that?

the difference is you know that is the uniform policy and have the choice not to send your child to this school.

the parents and the children were not told of this rule at st josephs, until they were already enrolled and attendin, therefore restrictin their ability to attend another school or write another school as their first preference on lea application forms, and makin it unlikely after the start of school for them to acquire a place in another school as most schools are full up.

thus puttin them in the situation where they have to choose between their convictions (no matter what our opinions are on them) and their education

Maypole - um, it's not actually HIS school. It's owned by the Catholic church (presumably) - bought by money kindly, er, donated by parishioners over the years... The running of the school is funded by you and me, the taxpayer.

Is the school across the road from you a state school or a private one?

As a Catholic who went to a Catholic school. We had regulation uniform that everyone adhered to. I think they even checked the colour of our pants. :0

Within Catholism, after Vatican II we moved away from the need for women to wear a viel at mass or in the presence of the Holy Sacrement. Many felt it was overly subservient and why should the women cover up. Although some still wear them viels out of respect for the Blessed Virgin, so important in our religion as am sure you know. I got the feeling at the time she should not be seen in this way. There was somthing to do with Veronica but google it or ask a priest he would be happy to explain it.

I am all for tolerance though its the only way. You have to find out the schools reasons for doing so. Is it more out of respect for Catholic teaching and scripture than making a stand against your beliefs? Is wearing a headscarf compulsary in Islam?

most people believe it is compulsory even if they dont wear it or wear it sporadically, there is a minority view that it is not compulsory, that is not accepted by the four major schools of islamic jurisprudence.

maypole1, you say you draw the line at the long black thing - what next? the long blue thing? the long red thing? the long yellow thing? Where does it stop?

Basically, this forum is saying that the veil should not be worn because some people do not like it! Great for women's rights!

If the veil is targeted, then soon it will be something else. To all the people who think that they are doing these women a favour, why can you not see that you are in fact breaching their rights and as a result causing a set-back to women's rights!

Such a small number of women wear the veil, yet so much furore is caused by it for no valid reason!

I believe that the scarf is compulsory in islam, I also believe that the veil is not compulsory, but a choice that is made for religious reasons. I have a huge problem with people wanting to ban it!

I don't believe in the veil worn for cultural reasons, but I do respect the veil worn for religious reasons. I would however, never want either one of the groups to remove the veil just because I agree or disagree with it!

If I've got the correct school website then uniform appears to say that a navy scarf for y7-11 and navy/black or green scarf for 6th form.

If the school had banned the headscarf, why would it be on the uniform list? or does it mean neck scarves? or have I got the wrong school?

Maypole If thinking of the girls am sure he would have consulted them.

Aqua shiv, pretty sure there is no doctrinal basis for this rule or the catholic guidelines to schools on uniform wouldn't suggest that headscarves are fine. I was raised catholic, not a believer now but am fairly sure sermons preached tolerance and respect.

Ravenak...you are right about the grammar. Never really read any of it until now but letters home are often eccentric too.

Tusk, not got much going for it really.