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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

678 replies

Headscarfs123 · 13/09/2011 00:15

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?

OP posts:
Giddly · 13/09/2011 10:26

sorry about the typos!

Serenitysutton · 13/09/2011 10:27

Oh and apologises for not being clear

A1980 · 13/09/2011 10:33

If you feel this way perhaps those of other faiths living in Muslim countries should start legal action re the forcing of their daughters to wear a head scarf in public and at school. I wonder how that would go down.

They shouldn't be in a Catholic school in the first place. There are plenty of secular schools available and generally not more than 1 Catholic school. I say this as my borough doesn't even have a Catholic school and so children must travel some distance to other boroughs for a Catholic school. Places are limited accoridngly and so pupils of the Catholic faith should be given priority IMO. I'm not Catholic by the way.

I will give a flying eff about this issue when Christians are permitted to wear crosses as and when they choose.

Whatmeworry · 13/09/2011 10:37

Ignore Brian whatmeworry, it is true and as I said, thanks herdofminielephants, I am a regular

In that case I apologise for my crass disbelief, and look forward to seeing this splashed all over the newspapers...if, of course, it is all true :o

Animation · 13/09/2011 10:38

A1980

Whatever the school - whatever the religion - it doesn't matter. Headscalves are NOT practcal.

Giddly · 13/09/2011 10:42

Why are head scarves not practical? Where I lived before most women wore them, and you'd see them working out at the gym etc with headscarf firmly in place. Obviously they need to be tied neatly to avoid trailing ends etc, but these women seemed to manage admirably. Full face coverings are another matter.

ThePosieParker · 13/09/2011 10:43

HEadscarf......is this a primary school or secondary?

ThePosieParker · 13/09/2011 10:44

"Seemed to manage admirably..."

that just about says it all!! Grin

fanjobanjowanjo · 13/09/2011 10:44

animation - you point out the origins of wearing a headscarf and your disdain for it, but it's up to the women/girls in question and how THEY see it, which is very differently to how you do.

It's their choice, just because you think it's wrong/oppressive (i get this impression from the way you described "a man" coming up with it) doesn't mean you are right.

If they want to wear it, they should be allowed.

A1980 · 13/09/2011 10:46

animation - you point out the origins of wearing a headscarf and your disdain for it, but it's up to the women/girls in question and how THEY see it, which is very differently to how you do.

I don't want to wear a headscarf as that is my choice. Yet I had to when travelling in certain countries as it was illegal not to. I will care for and respect their choices when they care for and respect mine.

ThePosieParker · 13/09/2011 10:47

Ah...just reread the thread. I think that in 2011 a hijab is divisive in a playground, it instantly shouts 'difference' and segregates pupils. I know too many secondary teachers to think this may be untrue.

ThePosieParker · 13/09/2011 10:49

A1980 So in some places it's illegal not to, but in British schools we can't say no?

Serenitysutton · 13/09/2011 10:49

They don't want to wear it. They think they're choosing to but they are not. I'd liken it to a situation where a women "chooses" to stay with an abusive partner. They think they have the freedom of choice but due to the circumstances, it's not a truely free decison (in this case because of the mysoginistic reasoning behind it)

fanjobanjowanjo · 13/09/2011 10:51

I don't want to wear a headscarf as that is my choice. Yet I had to when travelling in certain countries as it was illegal not to. I will care for and respect their choices when they care for and respect mine.

Shock

I hope you don't teach your children that philosophy.

fanjobanjowanjo · 13/09/2011 10:52
Shock
Giddly · 13/09/2011 10:53

I don't want to wear a headscarf as that is my choice. Yet I had to when travelling in certain countries as it was illegal not to. I will care for and respect their choices when they care for and respect mine.
These are usually laws made by un-democratic and autocratic governments - surely not something we want to aspire to (or that we can blame individual Muslims for). By banning headgear without a clear reason are we actually not moving more closely towards this state of affairs?

Animation · 13/09/2011 10:59

I get fed up of hearing "it's my choice."

Basically some man or group of men made these rules and protocols, but did they ever consider what might be in the child's best interest - at school. That it's not a good idea actually - it restricts movement, covers ears, gets in the way of specticals, hides and flattens hair ...and I don't know how they get on at P.E...

Giddly · 13/09/2011 11:03

They get on fine in PE!
But yes, we certainly must ban it if it flattens girls' hair!Hmm
Personally I think they should be compulsory in all schools (for boys and girls) to stop the spread of nits.

StrandedBear · 13/09/2011 11:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Animation · 13/09/2011 11:06

How do they get on fine in PE? Can they move their heads, does the scalf unravel, do they sweat?

And would they get on better if the scalf were removed ?

ThePosieParker · 13/09/2011 11:09

Men encourage and pressurise women at Mosques to make their young daughters wear the hijab..... according to one of my Muslim friends.... she still doesn't make her daughters wear them though. #goodforher

Giddly · 13/09/2011 11:09

No - the scarves don't seem to unravel. I go to the gym with a lot of Muslim women who work a lot harder than me there without problems. I would imagine they may need a change of headscarf afterwards (but no different from a change of clothing)

A1980 · 13/09/2011 11:10

Of course we can say no Posie and we should. That's what I meant. You can't go to Saudi and tell them you don't want to wear a scarf, you'll be in prison.

fanjobanjowanjo · 13/09/2011 11:14

A1980 your attitude is odd. All this eye for an eye business of only respecting another's beliefs when they respect yours.

How does anyone respect anyone in that situation??

ThePosieParker · 13/09/2011 11:18

I'm massively grateful that we are a tolerant and accepting nation, but can't help the feminist part of me intervening when it comes to patriarchal constructs that divide both men and women and culture.

It's a fine line between allowing religious freedom that people feel enrich their lives and those religious expressions that aid segregation.

Also the Catholic church pay for some of the school and it's the extra 10% that may be why the school is so desirable, so why should Catholics put up with hijabs?