Muslim children and dress at school

[arinita]

I volunteered on Friday at my child's school (about 50% Muslim) and actually got quite upset at how restrictive the clothes were that a lot of the girl children were sent to school dressed in. It was a really hot day and most of the Muslim girls had on a really tight headscarf, covering their chin and most of their forehead and long sleeves. About half of them also had a long shift thing that came to the floor. They looked hot and uncomfortable and weren't able to join in the other children's games as they couldn't run/climb in the clothes they had on. I asked the class teacher and she said that they couldn't enforce the uniform policy if there were religious objections. Is this true? Can't they insist on health and safety grounds? Some of these little kids just looked miserable as they were so hot and the one who was trying to climb the spiders web and kept getting caught up in her long robe about broke my heart. Is there a real religious why under 10yr old children have to be covered at all times? It seems so unfair and horrible for the children. And sexist.

At schools DD has attended, afaik there have been exemptions to shoe rules for children with physical SN, as they have a practical reason to be exempt, often backed up with a doctor's note. These exemptions have been extended to children with temporary injuries - DD's old primary were happy for her to attend in slippers while she recovered from a broken ankle.

I have no objections to modification of uniform or children's dress for expressly practical purposes.

I would like to see an end to anything other than secular schools too, despite my dcs attending a Catholic school. Which I am seriously considering switching over recent Creation stories.

The reason I was asking about uniform was to know how seriously it is taken now. It went through a phase where you had to wear it or be sent home (perhaps not for primary school)

If it was taken that seriously and parents accepted it then the majority must feel it is important for the children to wear it.

If you then say "well except for Muslims" that just can't be right. That's either unfair to the Muslim children or unfair to everyone.

If is of no importance than we must ensure that schools do not try and force a uniform on anyone at all.

you cant enforce uniform legally in state primary, it is optional?

anyone can decide to not send kid in uniform for any reason. its choice.

noone is saying except for muslims?

it is an option that is available if you want to take it up, you are not forced to take it up.

Actually, over half of all primary schools in the UK have at least the compulsory sweater, and over 1/3 of all primary schools in the UK have complete compulsory uniforms including skirt/trousers, shirt/blouse, and sweater.

I agree with the op.

ok i didnt know that cote, round here the uniform is voluntary, i think we would have to know for the ops specific case if the uniform was voluntary or an exception was made for specific groups of children before we could accuse muslims of thinking the rules didnt apply to them.

i send my dd with school skirt and leggings in the uniform colours, and short sleeve blouse/pole with cardigan that she has lost already after 3 weeks!! lol or summer dress and leggings when it is hot, or tights in place of leggings when it is colder,

would anyone have a problem with this? personally i dont see the need for her to be wearing ankle length skirts, but when out of school i do prefer she wears longer length tops/dresses with skinny jeans or leggings. as she is quite skinny and often her trousers will be halfway down her bum and her arse will be on show.

she is 4 in reception.

in secondary school i would check the uniform before i send her and round here all the schools cater for muslim dress, but if the school she attended had a uniform policy that enforced bare legs or arms and no scarf i would not send her there.

this would be in case she made the decision to follow hijab but couldnt because of school dress code.

i wouldnt force her to wear it as like said she would just take it off once out of sight so is absolutely pointless.

athough it is there reglion it is very sexist and girls as young as 10
the school uniform such be enforced on all children regardless of there reiglious views or cultures. Also i have seen some young children completly covered up (Postsboxes)

I think no child such be made into a religion until there are 18 then they are an adult and can think for themselfs

I didn't think it was too bad, Nailak, until you said that your dd was 4.

Then I was .

Surely, a 4 year old is an innocent, not even remotely sexual and needing to have their legs covered?

My three year old dd and 5 year old ds couldn't care less if their undies were showing.

I have seen several of my friends become very religious Jews and Christians in adolescence and young adulthood. Girls who chose to marry at 19, or to become missionaries or ministers. That is fine, they were exposed the to various possibilities of life in our society, and they made a choice (even if I am taken aback at some of the implications of those choices). It really bothers me, however, that their children will have much less exposure to those possibilities and it will be much harder for them to make a choice about what sort of life they want to lead.

How sad that anyone would think that a 4 year old should wear leggings under a summer dress.

Why does a 4 year old need to be that modest?

I work in a girls' RC school in an area with a large Muslim population.

We don't allow our prep pupils to wear hijab, but we do have a uniform hijab in the senior school. All pupils wear skirts, and the Muslim girls wear opaque tights year round. Some wear their tracksuit bottoms in PE/games, but I think, that since we are all-female, this is a personal preference.

I don't think you have to worry about the heat. It is much hotter in Pakistan.

As it is much hotter in the Sahara Desert. What does that mean?

What cantspel said.