Education Secretary Lucy Powell has told the House of Commons that schools must not force young girls to wear the hijab as part of their uniform.
Asked in the Commons on Monday by Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott whether it was acceptable for young girls to be required to wear a hijab to school as part of their school uniform, Powell answered simply: “No.”
Barnet Hill Academy row
The exchange followed controversy over Barnet Hill Academy in north London, an Islamic school that joined the state sector this month as a voluntary aided faith school. Its published uniform policy had required girls from the age of seven to wear the hijab.
Following criticism, the school said the requirement does not apply to non-Muslim pupils, and Powell told MPs the school had assured her the hijab was not compulsory — though campaigners noted the policy on its website still appeared to say otherwise for pupils it regards as Muslim.
Children’s freedom of religion or belief
Powell’s one-word answer puts the Department for Education on record that compulsory religious dress codes for young children in school uniform are unacceptable.
Humanists UK welcomed the Education Secretary’s stance and urged the Department to make clear to every state-funded school that religious dress codes cannot be imposed on children. The charity argued that freedom of religion or belief belongs to every child, and that a uniform rule compelling a seven-year-old girl to wear religious dress takes that decision out of her hands.
Labour Home reports the Commons exchange as a clear signal from the Education Secretary. Wider campaign arguments about faith schools and admissions remain contested across parties and communities; Powell’s immediate answer concerned compulsion in uniform policy for young girls.
