Muslim parents group say school's headscarf 'not modest enough'

Parents and pupils say headscarf is not long enough 'as some of the girls have long hair and so it defeats the object to wear it'

The school previously allowed students to choose any style or length of headscarf (file image) (Getty Images)

A secondary school has been engulfed in a row over headscarves as a group of Muslim parents have complained the school's swimming cap style headscarves are not modest enough.

Parents launched an online petition in response to the new veil policy at Sir John Thursby Community College, in Burnley, Lancashire.

The school previously allowed students to choose any style or length of headscarf as long as they were black.

However, the school unveiled plans for approved veils over concerns some were not being worn "correctly".

Over 150 people signed the petition, which said the veils are "very displeasing" for pupils and could pose a suffocation risk if pulled back by other pupils.

It says: "Unfortunately there was very little consultation by parents or the girls attending the school. Consequently a scarf designed by the school has been created.

"It is very tight and in some cases too short as some of the girls have long hair and so it defeats the object to wear it."

Shah Hussain, the councillor for Daneshouse and Stoneyholme, told The Telegraph several parents had contacted him about the new headscarf.

He said: "Children have told them it is not appropriate. The whole point is it is supposed to protect the wearer's modesty and that does not happen. They are quite unhappy about it.

"It is quite short and leaves the chest area not covered. The wearers are saying it should serve a purpose and if it is not serving the purpose why should they wear it?

"It has to be designed with the wearer in mind and the wearer helping to design it.”


 'It is very tight and in some cases too short as some of the girls have long hair and so it defeats the object to wear it'

The school's headmaster, David Burton, wrote to parents to defend the policy.

"We are sorry that there have been suggestions that the school is against headscarves,” he said. "This is not true. We respect fully the wishes of girls to wear a headscarf and we always have done.

"Students, staff and parents had expressed some concerns that some students were not wearing headscarves correctly although the rules had not changed on headscarves.

"We looked towards changing the uniform policy to include a uniform headscarf as we were aware that a change needed to be considered. We started a consultation process in September and we are still collecting the views of parents.

"Once we have collected these views we will be discussing them with governors."