Headscarf ban starting in September: What parents need to know now
Starting on the first day of school in September, a headscarf ban for girls up to the age of 14 will apply at all public and private schools in Austria. The legal basis is Section 43a of the School Education Act, which the National Council passed in December 2025. Wearing a headscarf that covers the head according to Islamic traditions is prohibited—both inside the school building and on the entire school grounds, including during breaks and in all-day school programs.
How the ban will be enforced was explained by the Vienna Education Directorate on Monday at the start of the summer school program. Teachers are not to remove headscarves from children. The procedure begins with a conversation with the parents, which the school will document and follow up with written information. If the parents remain uncooperative, the case will be forwarded to the Education Directorate, which will conduct further discussions and only then impose sanctions. Fines ranging from 150 to 800 euros are planned for parents. "We want to keep this away from the schools as much as possible," said Vienna Education Director Elisabeth Fuchs.
Important for the next two weeks: During summer school, children under 14 are still permitted to wear a headscarf. The ban only takes effect with the start of the regular school year. Summer school runs from August 24 to September 4 in Vienna, Lower Austria, and Burgenland, and from August 31 to September 11 in the remaining federal states. This year, more than 58,500 children and teenagers are participating, about 17,000 more than in the previous year; for the first time, participation is mandatory for extraordinary students from German language support classes.
How many girls will be affected by the ban remains unclear—it has never been tracked before. Legally, the final word has not been spoken either: The Islamic Religious Community in Austria has announced a complaint to the Constitutional Court, and a previous version of the ban from 2019 was overturned by this court in 2020. However, until a new decision is reached, the law remains fully in effect. Anyone who is unsure how to proceed in their own case should contact the Education Directorate of their respective federal state before school starts, rather than waiting until after the first conversation at school.