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?

No Christian can stop preaching. Their life is their preaching. Whether or not they use words.

By which I do not mean to support the divisive use of outward signs.

Lol. You’ve been found out. I’m sure there are, given the thousands on the roll. Your posts just aren’t screaming the knowledge that would indicate you’re one of them. It’s obvious that this issue means a lot to you - is there anyone on the thread to whom who haven’t responded ad nauseum. That passion can cloud reasoning. I won’t be responding again as you appear to be very wound up and don’t want to compound it.

I’m off for a walk with baby now as it is beautiful out and the reflux windows are all too brief. Suggest you get some air too. Krgds.

Absolutely no apologies for language or post. Anti Islamic sentiment and misrepresentation should also be called out, however unpopular that is on Mumsnet

Yep.

For the 1946 people it was a good time. They could be downright cruel to single mothers, gay people, black people, anyone from the 'colonies' from their haughty, judgemental altars...

Whilst doing some truly evil things themselves.

Ah, don't mention that!!!

The two relevant verses in the Koran that can be construed as mandating head coverings for women and girls have been subject to different interpretations

That’s not a bad idea!

Do you always, as a rule, pick the worst aspects of everything to mention? I'm sure quite a lot of good things happened 80 years, as well there being an awful lot of good people. The majority of the country's eligible young men had fought a long, exhasusting, costly war to defeat the most evil regime in world history. Aye, the place was rotten, eh.

💯

Like telling a Moslem woman hijab isn’t required and telling her how to practice her religion 🤔

It's important to remind people that Justin welby only got sacked 2 or 3 years ago for covering up horrible abuse against children... It wasnt a century ago, a decade ago, it was in my children's lifetime (and they aren't even at primary school yet).

The people in authority today are the same ones who were there when this happened.

I don't want them getting involved in schools again.

It's important to educate and remind this generation of what the church did recently. They, the Christians, want to forget it, conveniently.

No way.

Well, OP could always ask a clergy person of her denomination, a Christian leader or scholar or clergy person or two from other denominations, and an academic theologian, whether wearing a cross is necessary, and how to discern spiritual priorities in fighting to wear a cross. Right use of time, vainglory, humility, perfect joy, etc etc.

“how do you account for men not wearing a hijab?”

That’s an easy one: it’s not referenced in the Koran, unlike the two verses referencing women and daughters and head coverings

I mean, wasn't Paula vennells, the ex head of the post office, an ordained priest?? (she was)... Another Christian, who lied and resulted in hundreds of innocent people going to prison, having their lives wrecked, some taking their lives...

That's another Christian example who should be remembered, not hushed up.

I don't want the church getting involved in education. Keep away. And yes, I'll keep on producing examples of Christian scandals... Because there are so many....

Yet people on this thread bang on about the 'rights to wear a cross'... Sort your own house out first before worrying about jewellery in schools.

Pope Francis also said wearing a cross as a fashion accessory is abuse

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/pope-francis-crucifix-accessory-abuse-cross-religious-fashion-a8266591.html

I am living in the world but in a religious order, and the only time I 'had' to wear a cross was when one was used in the ceremony of profession.

I do have to observe a number of behaviours, though.

Other Christian practices may differ.

I have the feeling that, if the OP's post is genuine and not a Reform soft power move, the child may need gentle guidance about how to live her Christianity even more actively, and to unpack what wearing a symbol really means to her.

There is no right to wear a cross on a neck chain in a school. Schools find other solutions such as a lapel badge. It’s pretty simple really.

How fucking dare they.

Oh how ridiculous and how typical of MN.

The scouts have distanced themselves from the Christian church.

The brownies too.

Cubs...

Most organisations involving young people...

I wonder why????

Keep Christian fervour out of schools.

Save it for the Sunday 1pm slot on songs of praise and the increasingly elderly congregations who still remember being told about 'going to hell' in schools (for being gay) and by Christian priests...

Oh, and keep up disclosure and barring service checks and not leaving any child alone with an adult, ever, whoever that adult is in soimcietal hierarchies.. Hasn't an Archbishop just been convicted of abuse against children?? (oh yes, they have)

This.👋 With brass lnobs on.

Thanks Sunbeam but this is just an article about Iranian issues. It has nothing to do with Islamic rulings about whether hijab is compulsory from a certain age. Show us some literature from a reputable scholar and we will listen. I am yet to meet a hijab wearer who says that actually they dont have to wear it but they just choose to for god/culture/fashion.

"We will be an Islamic state?"

Nuts. Just ridiculous rubbish.

The self inflicted failings of the Christian church for decades have caused their own downfall amongst the young. It's important children know about the multitude of Christian abuse scandals, cover ups, judgement.

There's just so much of it. Everywhere.

And all church leaders try to say is "we didn't know, it wasn't me, it was a different time, yes but, but, but, yes we don't agree now with what we preached then, WE ARE DIFFERENT... '

Oh, yes, many, the majority of our clergy leaders qualified in the 70s and 80s, were there, but' we are different'... We are. If we say we are, we are. Promise xx

Here's a tik tok video. Look how different we are!!!

It's like kemi Badenoch claiming she's new, fresh, a different tory,...

She sat there next to Boris throughout the covid times, on the top table.

Nothings changed... In politics or religion. These people don't change, they just have to be seen to change, or become an irrelevance... (like the church of England and Conservative party are rapidly becoming)..

Nothing gets votes more than scaring people... Maybe money motives too... Taxes...

Islamic state??? What rubbish.

Yes... You are right about ww2.

Just remind me, wasn't the Catholic pope at the time a fervent supporter of the Germans and fascist rule?

Don't tell me, he 'had' to be as the Vatican was surrounded by musdolini's fascist Italy...

Didn't the Catholic Church help the German leadership, sorry war criminals, with false papers to escape to Argentina and Brazil???

Oh, hang on, they DID.