Education and Study: She refused to remove her hijab despite being warned and speaking with her parents; a 13-year-old student faces legal action that could result in a fine
Austria’s new school hijab ban is facing its first major wave of cases, with 55 girls in Vienna continuing to wear headscarves despite discussions with teachers and school directors. The cases have now been referred to the Vienna Education Directorate.
The ban came into force at the beginning of the 2026/27 school year and applies to girls under the age of 14 in schools. Under the law, head coverings that conceal the head according to Islamic traditions are prohibited on school grounds.
Schools are required to follow a set procedure when a student continues wearing a hijab. Teachers must first speak privately with the student. If the situation does not change, the school director must contact the parents and explain the legal requirements and the purpose of the regulation.
In Vienna, 55 cases have now reached the Bildungsdirektion (Education Directorate) because previous discussions at the schools did not lead to the girls removing their headscarves. The first meetings with parents are expected to take place before the end of the week.
Authorities have stressed that the cases should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of pressure from families. According to the Education Directorate, the reasons are varied. Some older girls reportedly do not want to remove their hijabs themselves, while in some cases parents have tried to persuade them to comply with the new rules.
The most cases have so far been reported in Vienna’s Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus district, with 14 cases, followed by Floridsdorf with 11. If the girls continue to violate the regulation after the required discussions and procedures, the cases can eventually move to the administrative authorities, where fines of up to €800 may be imposed, including repeatedly.