Austria’s under-14 headscarf ban takes effect in schools

Austria’s ban on headscarves for female students under 14 took effect on Tuesday, ORF reported, two weeks before schools reopen in Carinthia. Authorities in the province expect few problems, although resistance to the law is anticipated elsewhere in the country.

The Education Ministry has told schools how to respond to breaches. The headscarf must not be forcibly removed, according to the guidance.

“In practice, the first breach is dealt with at the school,” said Robert Derhaschnig of the Carinthian Directorate of Education. This involves a mandatory meeting between the school management, the student’s parents or guardians and the student. Further breaches must be reported to the Directorate of Education.

From the third breach, the Directorate of Education must file a report with the administrative penalty authorities. Child and youth welfare services must also be informed.

Derhaschnig said the authorities generally did not expect many breaches. He said contact with Islamic religious communities was working well and that no major problems were expected at this stage.

Applications challenging the ban have already been submitted to Austria’s Constitutional Court. The court rejected them on formal grounds because the ban was not yet in force when they were filed. It has not yet ruled on the substance of the challenges.

An earlier headscarf ban in primary schools, introduced under an Austrian coalition government led by the Austrian People’s Party and the Freedom Party, was overturned by the Constitutional Court. The court found that the rule affected only a specific group of students and therefore violated the principle of equality.