MINISTER FOR Education Batt O'Keeffe has said the Government will consider whether to issue guidelines on the wearing of the hijab in schools when it drafts an intercultural education strategy later this year.
He was responding to a report in The Irish Timesyesterday, which quoted the principal of one of the largest secondary schools in the State calling on the Minister to offer advice on whether Muslim students should be allowed to wear the headscarf in class. His predecessor Mary Hanafin refused to advise the school on the issue.
In a statement, Mr O'Keeffe said that while individual school authorities were responsible for drawing up school rules, he appreciated that "sensitive issues" can arise given students' different cultural and religious backgrounds.
He added that he had asked the Minister of State for Integration, Conor Lenihan, to consider the question of school dress codes and diversity as the intercultural education strategy is being prepared. That process will involve a large national conference in September.
Nicholas Sweetman, principal of Gorey Community School, Co Wexford, wrote to Ms Hanafin last October after a Muslim couple requested that their child wear the hijab in class and asked that the matter be addressed "with some urgency".
When no response was received, the school again wrote to the minister in December. In reply, her private secretary advised it was up to the board of management to decide on a policy, "and it would not be appropriate for the department to direct or advise a school in relation to any aspect of its policy on dress code".
Mr Sweetman told The Irish Times his school welcomed all pupils and had excellent relations with minority communities. "But as a State school, the State should be offering guidance so that we don't have a situation where in this school the child is allowed to wear the hijab, and another school down the road will say, 'We don't allow that'," he said.
The general secretary of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland John White said that while schools had been successful in integrating minorities, it was time for the department to agree a position on the headscarf. "Occasionally we would get queries about the hijab and we would say, 'Yes, we should respect the culture those pupils are coming from'," he said. "But the department, at this stage, can't wash their hands of it, and perhaps we do need a consensus in all schools."
Ali Selim, a theologian and general secretary of the Irish Council of Imams, said the hijab was not a religious symbol, but a Muslim obligation. "Depriving Muslims of practising this freedom means that they have to sacrifice either their Muslim identity or refrain from joining the school.
He said, adding that the department should agree a common position.
Muslim dress: what women wear
HIJAB
A square of fabric folded into a triangle, placed over the
head and fastened under the chin. This is the most common style in
western countries.
KHIMAR
A circular head-covering with a hole cut out for the
face, which usually comes down to the waist.
CHADOR
Covers the head and body and comes down to the
ground. The woman's face is entirely visible.
NIQAB
A veil that covers the face and entire head but with
a space cut out for the eyes.
BURQA
Covers the entire body and has a grille over the
face.
