London, 20 March (AKI) - In what is expected to be a controversial move, Britain's education minister Alan Johnson will on Tuesday tell head teachers they may ban schoolchildren from wearing the full Muslim veil or niqab on "safety, security and teaching" grounds. A new uniform policy to be distributed to schools gives head teachers the right to stop pupils covering their faces. The guideline, which will be put out to consultation among headteachers and parents, does not appear to stop girls wearing a headscarf, the Guardian newspaper said, quoting information leaked by Johnson to the Sun tabloid.
Johnson, who is eyeing the deputy Labour leadership, argues safety, security and effective teaching must take priority over tolerance of children's religious and cultural beliefs and that it is for teachers to judge whether the if it is necessary to see a pupil's face to teach them effectively and safely. |