Author:
Publication: Sify News
Date: February 22, 2007
URL: http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14394411
A 12-year-old schoolgirl in Britain lost a
legal challenge to her school's ban on a full-face veil on Wednesday.
Justice Silber, in his judgment in Buckinghamshire
court, ruled that the ban was "proportionate" in the light of factors
like the veil prevented teachers from seeing a pupil's facial expression -
a key element in effective classroom interaction and necessity to enforce
a school uniform policy.
The judge had been told that the girl's three
older sisters had attended the same school and had worn the niqab with no
problems.
But the school in Buckinghamshire had told
the girl it was not acceptable because teachers believed it would make communication
and learning difficult.
The judge has now rejected her lawyers' arguments
for a judicial review. Due to legal reasons the girl and the school have not
been identified publicly.
It is understood she has been taught at home
after the uniform policy last autumn. About 120 of the school's 1,300-plus
pupils are Muslims and about half of them wear the hijab headscarf, which
is permitted.
In his judgment, Justice Silber said he was
dealing with one particular case and not the wider issue of whether the niqab
should be worn, in schools or anywhere else.