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?

Apparently, Christian women should cover their head when praying. It's in the Bible.

1 Corinthians 11:2-16

Although it is a bit unclear. Because it seems to suggest long hair can substitute for a covered head ( for women). But that begs the question about women with short hair.

But this also says man are forbidden long hair ? All a bit unclear really.

One the eve of very important elections as well..........

@Allisnotlost1
I am absolutely happy to correct you. The hijab is absolutely not a signal to God. It is an outward symbol to show everyone including other Muslims particularly that you are following that faith. It is not a requirement but a fashion and cultural symbol namely from Wahabi Saudi Arabia. This is not Saudi Arabia last time I checked. This is still very much the United Kingdom. The crucifix worn as a necklace is absolutely a symbol of faith in Christianity and has been for 2000 years. Much longer than the headscarf has been, for the last 50 years in fact.

Sorry OP if it's true, but it's the kind of thing Reform types post online about 'two tier justice' and discrimination against Christians. I find it hard to believe a school would open itself up to the protest this might create.

I’m a chair of governors at a secondary school. We have these situations all the time and our SLT does a great job at getting through them through respect and understanding around people’s beliefs. Whether or not it is an obligation of faith to wear crosses, headscarves or anything else, a school that is not able to compromise by allowing a child to wear a small (and widely worn) religious symbol that is important to her is pretty limited in their thinking.

My daughter has worn a cross all through secondary school and it’s never been an issue at all. Why would it be? Similarly, her friend chose to wear a headscarf in Years 10
and 11, but her sister did not. No health or safety was compromised and it didn’t mean every non-Muslim in the school decided to push the boundaries by wearing a dozen technicolour headscarves each.

The senior leadership team is really doing themselves no favours by escalating threats to punish a child for wearing a symbol of faith and this approach is more likely to generate more heat than light.

@Pendapala you express thoughts on this more eloquently than me and I agree with you.

Why do you talk such shit and say the hijab is "solely fashion and cultural"?

There are two specific verses in the Koran which have been interpreted as meaning women and girls ("daughters") should cover their hair. Refer to 1) Surah an-Nur, Ch.24: V.32, and 2) Surah al-Ahzab, Ch.33: V.60) if you want to educate yourself.

But you do you and persist that "it doesn't exist"

Yes, I was wondering how else the OP's daughter manifests and practises her religion (other than through jewellery)

She could wear the cross on a longer chain perhaps?

The school rules themselves say that symbols of religion can be worn. And the law (specifically the Equality Act 2010) trumps any silly little school rule.

@MyrtlethePurpleTurtle Thanks and please do mind your language. FYI you have no idea what my faith is. I think you might want to reconsider your post and the extracts you quoted because you and I both know very well that those extracts categorically do not say headscarves and hijabs must be worn. They are simply yours and some folks 'interpretation' and that is all. They are therefore fashion and culture. But yeah...you do 'you'

I think they're really wrong to do this. I'd complain to the school on the basis that it does actually comply with the uniform policy wording and them asking her to remove it could go against the Equality Act. It's a small religious symbol. Obviously it's not compulsory, but neither are headscarves or wedding rings or other things many people in our society consider really important and meaningful.

Why are schools like this? 😫

No, we are not, and its not necessary for children to display overt religious symbols in schools.

Wearing a cross isn't remotely any kind of religion thing though, it happens to be a symbol of the religion but wearing it is not something that is part Christian religion. It is fashion or personal choice.

I think the first step is to ask them to define 'other religious and cultural symbols'.

It’s because it’s jewellery. I’m a Christian. I wear a cross. I took it off at school. If the cross is so small and hidden how on earth do they know she’s wearing it.

I know a lot of brethren women and girls wear head/hair clips outside of worship rather than wearing a headscarf 24/7, and I suspect the hair clips might be considered to be ‘jewellery’ by some teachers or schools.

It needs to be clarified in policy with guidance and examples. This shouldn’t need so many tribunals.

Some denominations and sects have attempted to modernise their dress codes and presentation codes, and get hit with unintended consequences unfortunately.

They're not banning religious symbols, they're banning jewellery.

Nothing stopping the DD having a cross keyring on her bag for example, or a cross sewn into the inside of her jumper/cardigan.

I wouldn't give much hope to her being allowed to wear a pin/brooch either, they are also classed as jewellery.

Seeing as my last post got deleted I will state again that poster has no right to speak as to the ops daughter’s intentions on wearing a cross. Her right to religious expression should be exactly the same as the students of other faiths regardless of whether it is a compulsory requirement of that faith or not. As long as it’s removed for PE. Wearing a cross is not offensive in the slightest or it shouldn’t be. If anyone regards it as such then they are the intolerant ones. I most certainly would be refusing to comply with the school on this and if they persisted would look at religious discrimination.

I agree. She sounds like a bit of a cheeky madam if you ask me. Teachers have enough on their plates without having to deal with stubborn, non-compliant teenagers.

Just what an over-worked teacher needs. Teachers are leaving the profession in droves due to pupils over riding the school rules and their enabling parents backing them up.

Thank you! That's the point I made, and which people are missing. It's jewellery. I suggested a Christian keyring hanging from her bag. No problem.

Depends on your brand of Christianity I guess.

However, I bet she would remove it for an MRI scan, so it's worn by choice, not because it was implanted into her.

She removes it for PE