A Muslim student at a top girls’ school has yet to start her A-levels because of a row over her wearing a full-face veil, it was revealed today. The unnamed 16-year-old pupil, who has attended Camden School for Girls in north London for the past five years without wearing the niqab, wants to enter the coeducational sixth form.
But headmistress Elizabeth Kitcatt is understood to have banned her from joining the sixth form if she insists on wearing the full-face veil – because it goes against school rules.
Uniform policy: The unnamed 16-year-old pupil, who has attended Camden School for Girls (pictured) in north London for the past five years without wearing the niqab, wants to enter the coeducational sixth form
The girl wants to wear the traditional Muslim veil so that her face and hair are covered while she studies – and more than 700 people have signed a petition calling the school’s move ‘Islamophobic’.
Her sister Sagal Ahmed, 18, insisted the school’s refusal to let the girl wear a niqab had been ‘very upsetting’. She said: ‘My sister just wants to wear the niqab for her reasons and attend a school.
‘I don’t feel like her education should be compromised or the way she dresses should affect the way anyone looks at her.’
The school’s sixth form does not have a uniform, but has a dress code which it expects all students to follow. The headmistress said in a statement that they do not comment on individual cases.
Mrs Kitcatt, 55, added: ‘We have an appearance policy and students at the school may wear what they wish subject to any requirement in the interests of teaching and learning, health and safety. Inappropriate dress which offends public decency or which does not allow teacher-student interactions will be challenged.’
A petition headed ‘Stop the Islamophobia’ has been started by an anonymous protester on the Change.org website.
It says: ‘Camden School for Girls Sixth Form has refused to allow a 16-year-old student to study at the school as she wears a niqab. A niqab is a full veil that covers part of the face, only revealing the eyes.
‘The student has been studying at Camden School for Girls for five years. She sat her GCSEs this summer, and initially received a C in English language, which meant she could not attend the sixth form.
‘However, just a few weeks ago, the school called her up and informed her that she actually achieved an A grade, meaning that she could attend the sixth form she had been intending to go to.
‘This was amazing, right? She would be back with the same teachers, friends and place again.
‘But there was one problem: the niqab. The student only started to wear the niqab this year, and even sat her GCSE exams wearing the veil.
‘But this time, when the student returned to the school, wearing the niqab, a teacher claimed that she could not be allowed to study at the school.’
The petitioner claimed some students at the school wore the niqab in the past, adding: ‘This school is renowned for its “individuality” and “strong feminist views”.
‘However, this poorly thought out decision made by the school contradicts this. What happened to ‘freedom of expression’?’
‘I don’t feel like her education should be compromised or the way she dresses should affect the way anyone looks at her’
Sagal Ahmed, sister
A former girl pupil who supports the petition, Farhana Khanom, commented on the website: ‘I went to Camden School for Girls and many girls wore veils and were allowed to do so.
‘This school had a reputation. And now discriminating (against) people that made their own choice to wear what they feel is utterly disgusting. ‘
Former pupils at the school include Sarah Brown, the wife of former prime minister Gordon Brown, singer Geri Halliwell, and actresses Emma Thompson and Tamsin Greig.
Source: Dailymail.co.uk
