Headscarf ban: What parents face – and what is not true
With the start of the school year, the headscarf ban for girls under 14 applies in Austria. It takes effect on September 7 in Vienna, Lower Austria, and Burgenland, and on September 14 in the remaining federal states. Despite calls for a boycott, Minister of Education Christoph Wiederkehr expects only isolated violations. The Ministry of Education estimates that several thousand students will be affected, primarily in lower secondary education.
The procedure is precisely defined. If a girl under 14 wears a headscarf on school grounds, the class teacher will first ask her to remove it in a confidential, one-on-one conversation. If that does not help, the school administration is involved, which informs the parents about the law. In the event of further violations, the process is referred to the Education Directorate. Only then can the district administrative authority impose an administrative fine of 150 to 800 euros, which can also be applied repeatedly. The recipients of the fine are the parents, not the child. Important for families: The girl must not be excluded from class and must continue to participate in lessons. The ban does not apply outside of school grounds, such as on field trips.
According to the ministry, information currently in circulation is false. The Islamic Religious Community writes on its website that the school is not allowed to speak with girls about the headscarf without the presence of their parents. Wiederkehr calls this "clear misinformation." At the same time, the Equal Treatment Commission warned against racist discrimination on Friday. Its head, Sandra Konstatzky, reported that even during the awareness-raising phase, there were reports of dignity-violating attacks against female students. Schools are now receiving an information letter. Students must not be devalued because of their origin or externally visible characteristics.
Parents who feel that they or their child are being treated unfairly can contact the Equal Treatment Commission free of charge and confidentially. Anyone who receives an administrative fine can file an appeal against it; the deadline is stated in the penalty notice. The Islamic Religious Community has announced a challenge to the law at the Constitutional Court; a decision is still pending. An initial interim report on how often fines have been imposed is expected to be published in the autumn.