school uniform policy chaos

School uniform policy chaos
By Bruce MacDougall and Evelyn Yamine
May 17, 2005
From:

SCHOOL uniform policy has been thrown into chaos after a Muslim girl won a special exemption to wear a religious garment in class.
Principals fear students will now try to flout school uniform rules in up to 2250 schools across the state.

The Education Department said religious garments were included in the uniform policy because of anti-discrimination laws but sports clothing was not.

School heads expressed serious concern yesterday about the case of Yasamin Alttahir, 17, who clashed with Auburn Girls High School over the wearing of a mantoo, an ankle-length religious tunic.

One of the authors of the state's uniform policy, Secondary Principals' Council president Chris Bonnor, said the controversy had left school heads confused.

"Now how many other students will put their hand up [for changes to their uniform]?" he said.

"How will the department help that school to draw the line?"

While Ms Alttahir has been cleared to wear the religious tunic at Auburn Girls High, principals made it clear sports clothing such as a Bulldogs scarf or an Eels beanie were on the banned list. Mr Bonnor questioned whether the Auburn case was more about a student and family wanting to "test the system", rather than a conscientious decision involving deeply held beliefs.

After wearing the mantoo for two years, the Iraqi-born Sh'ite Muslim was told it did not comply with the school's uniform policy.

After receiving a detention slip she threatened to go to the Anti-Discrimination Board, saying it was her right to wear what she wanted.

This was despite local Muslim community leaders being involved in drawing up the school's uniform policy.

The Education Department's regional director of southwestern Sydney, Kim Fillingham, said Ms Alttahir was not allowed to wear the dress to school because she did not have a note from her parents.

Ms Alttahir's parents have now provided the note, saying their daughter wanted to wear the gown because of its "religious significance".

A department spokesman said last night: "This fulfils the requirements of the uniform policy to allow the variation - it is not a backdown."

Ms Alttahir remained adamant she did not need permission to wear her mantoo, which she had tailored to cover her frame and match the Auburn Girls High School green uniform colour.

Principal of Holroyd High School Dorothy Hoddinott also said the problem of where to draw the line on uniform changes was "an issue".

"We have quite a variety of uniform at Holroyd - if parents cannot operate within that, then we need to negotiate," she said.