School asking daughter to remove small cross despite religious symbols policy

[FanFckingTastic]

I'm looking for some advice and thoughts!

DD is 15 and at secondary school. She has always worn a small silver cross - at primary school this was never an issue (it was a church school) Up until this point it's not been an issue at secondary school either. The cross is very small and is tucked into her shirt so you would have to be really looking for it in order to see it. She always removes it for PE etc.

Last Monday her head of year saw the cross and asked her to remove it. My daughter replied that it was her cross, and that she didn't want to. She was then approached and asked to remove it every day for the remainder of the week, with increasing threats of sanctions if she didn't comply with the schools 'no jewelry' rule. My daughter kept reiterating that this was her cross, and asked the teacher to speak with me. Finally on Friday I received an email to tell me that my daughter needed to take her cross off.

I completely understand the new jewelry rule but wonder how this sits alongside the responsibility that the school has under the equalities act 2010. In their uniform policy it states that it will 'allow pupils to wear headscarves and other religious or cultural symbols' I would interpret this to include a cross too?

My daughter wears her cross as a sign of her faith and really wants to continue to do this.

Has anyone come across this situation before? If so, what was the solution?

Wearing a cross isn't part of the Christian faith is it? I would call it decorative jewellery.
I wouldn't call it discrimination either as presumably people of other faiths are also not allowed to wear chains with symbols of their faiths.
It's not the same as wearing a scarf or a turban

i haven’t read the full thread OP but google ‘British airways wearing a cross’ and you’ll see a tribunal case that was won by a uniformed member of staff wanting to wear a cross for religious reasons. It might help you formulate your reply.

Everyone is entitled to express their faith in their own way. It isn’t more showy to wear a cross and a chain. It is often cultural. For example, I attended a Roman Catholic high school. You normally received a cross and chain when you had your first holy communion. A cross and chain was actually part of my uniform. I’ve had the same one since I was a little girl. The cross and chain I wear today I have owned for a very long time. I do not wear it to be flashy, or to present myself as a better person than others. It is simply my belief. I was taught by nuns. I went to mass in school every Thursday morning, confession monthly on a Thursday evening and mass again on a Sunday morning. I am just as entitled to an expression of my faith as any other religion.

Part of the teachings since the late 20th century? Pfft.

You could seek clarification on kirpan on chain/Sikhism as it would be more inline than the hijab. It is quite possible that this is coming from a place of ignorance (and a bit of initial over zealousness to enforce a new rule). I often find that when people are actually challenged about their rules/actions relating to religious freedom in an educated manner they back down a bit. I think it would be no harm getting vicar/priest to have a word. Your child should be able to express their faith with freedom (wearing a discreet cross that is removed as required for health and safety in PE etc has no negative impact on anyone else) just as those of other faiths do. It is an established Christan practice to wear a cross or crucifix, not a fad or new trend. It isn't a change in her behaviour. Back your daughter OP, too often young people are challenged (in a negative way rather than academic/educational reasons) rather than supported for practicing their faith!

If a policy that applies to everyone affects one or more groups disproportionately then it can still be found to be discriminatory as a matter of equality law. Lots of case law on this. It’s a tough one for policy makers because they might in good faith think they’re treating everyone equally with a blanket ban but in point of fact, one group bears the brunt.

No, the law doesn't. It protects that right in an employment context, not in a school context.

Sure, if a school allows pupils to wear things on chains around their necks, it would be discriminatory for it to ban pupils from wearing crosses. However, if a school has a rule that bans the wearing of all jewellery for pupils, then there is absolutely nothing that says it must waive it to permit the wearing of religious symbols that are not compulsory within any religion. They would not be infringing OP's child's right to express her religion, because there is nothing that is a requirement of the Christian faith that she is prevented from doing. She can, for instance, discuss it with her friends, or carry a cross in her pocket.

If anything, pupils like OP's daughter are privileged above any member of other religious faiths because of the requirement for state funded schools to hold an act of worship that is "wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character". It always amuses me that people who want to make out that Christians are underprivileged in schools artistically forget about this.

I’m a teacher of Islamic sciences…studied it for over 10 years. Hijab is not cultural. Anyone claiming such is misinformed. Personally never come across anyone claiming it’s cultural…it would be a very small minority in the Muslim world.

@LlamaBasket Not because it’s Christianity - it’s because it’s jewellery and a health and safety issue. Lots of schools allow ear studs but not necklaces. Some do allow necklaces. There’s not really a definitive law on crosses because they are not a requirement. Lapel pin crosses are allowed normally and the dc here should agree to this solution if it’s offered. Seikh bracelets can be an issue too and schools need to navigate the religious waters fairly and carefully. I’d go for the lapel cross if suggested and I’d not make this such a hill to die on. Others have tried and not won. They’ve changed schools.

No it isn't
Wearing a cross is a personal preference. It isn't actually part of the Christian religion.

But Chrisitan pujpils don't bear any brunt, as wearing crosses on chains is not a requirement of the religion.

It’s been fascinating to read so many posts detailing that hijab/haircovering is not obligatory in Islam. Also interesting to read that it is purely fashion and/or cultural. Are any actual Muslims writing these facts? It’s just that, you might find that the majority of Muslims disagree with you all on these points (children not included of course but the posts are general and dont specify age groups).

Since when was wearing a cross on a chain an established Christian practice? How do you account for the fact that, for instance, very few Christian men wear them?

Apologies. I should have said a Christian in Britain. Christians are genuinely discriminated against in some other countries in the world.

Yet you are still describing this as something you want to do, not something that is a requirement of the Christian faith. Would you be any less of a Christian or Catholic if you chose not to wear it?

Many Christian men and boys wear them.

how do you account for men not wearing a hijab? You need to get a grip

This!
Im also very surprised that so many people are claiming such. Im a practicing Muslim who has been teaching Islamic theology and jurisprudence for over ten years…hijab is a part of our religion. It is definitely not cultural.

I don't think wearing a necklace can be compared to wearing eg a head scarf.

A necklace is a choice, not a requirement.

One is jewellery, the other is not.

DD could stick to the rules of the school and is choosing not to.

Talk to me about all the discrimination Christians in Britain face……

How rude and unhelpful. The ops daughter’s wish to openly practice her religious faith is in no way related to the right wing’s attempt to vilify the Muslim community.

Do cite the law which protects the wearing of crosses such that including crosses on chains in general jewellery bans is unlawful. Hint: you won't be able to.

We have established that wearing a scarf is compulsory within Islam, and I believe wearing a kipper is viewed as a requirement for strict follows of Orthodox Judaism. If you can produce something that says Christians have to wear head coverings showing a cross, no doubt your argument will succeed. However, I fear you will struggle.

Of course she has every right to express her faith in the ways required by the Christian faith. If she desperately wants to wear a cross, no doubt she can embroider one inside her collar or, as someone has suggested, ask the school if they'd be OK with a discreet lapel badge. However, OP hasn't said that she is being prevented from doing so in any way, so it seems to be a non-issue. On the contrary, if she is in a state school she is in the happy position where she can express her faith by attending regular acts of worship of a Christian nature which the school has to hold, which of course is not a privilege extended to members of other religions.

Maybe where you are or circles you move in...I know plenty that do 🤷‍♀️ if not a cross then a scapular.

The practice itself can be traced back to the 2nd century but became more mainstream in the 4th century, as did Christianity under Emperor Constantine.

I think if schools allow headscarves they must allow crosses

You daughter's school has a no jewellery policy. Suck it up or move her to another school. If she'd actually kept this hidden there would have been no issue.

All this reminds me of a comedian, can't unfortunately remember which one, who opined that if Jesus ever has a 2nd coming, the last thing he'd want to see is a cross!

Maybe check out the poster's other threads before making assumptions?