Irish schools told that Muslim girls should not be allowed to wear the full face veil

Published: Thursday, September 23, 2010

Schools in Ireland have been issued with new guidance stating that the full face veil worn by some Muslim girls is not allowed in Catholic secondary schools.
The advice, covering issues ranging from the wearing of veils to assuring parents that the school is not trying to convert pupils to Catholicism, has been issued to the 450 schools.
Schools had previously sought guidance on how to tread the line between upholding their Catholic ethos while also embracing pupils from other religious traditions.
Now the Joint Managerial Body, the representative body for Catholic secondary schools, has provided its 'Guidelines on the Inclusion of Students from other Faiths in Catholic Secondary Schools'.
Schools have been told that a clear admissions policy, stating that it is a Catholic school and explaining to parents prior to enrolment what that means, avoids a lot of difficulty.
According to the guidelines, any problems, such as uniform or religious education, should be discussed and resolved before the student is admitted.
Uniform is a potential area of conflict and no pupil or staff member should be prevented from wearing a religious symbol or garment, such as a turban for Sikh boys or a hijab for Muslim girls.
However, the guidelines draw a distinction between the hijab and the niqab, the full veil worn over a Muslim girl's face.
Similarly, the guidelines state that it is reasonable to ask a pupil, or her mother, to uncover their face for a meeting - but only on the understanding that no man will enter the room.

Full story in the (Irish) Independent on Wednesday September 22 2010