Vienna headscarf ban takes effect for girls up to 14

Vienna’s new school year begins with a contested ban on headscarves for girls up to the age of 14, ORF reported. Teachers are required to enforce the rule, which has been criticised by the Islamic Religious Community and challenged politically and legally.

If a girl refuses to remove her headscarf and discussions with her parents do not resolve the issue, the case must be officially recorded and fines may follow. A designated form documents details such as whether the girl’s ears or hair are visible and how the scarf is tied.

The Islamic Religious Community says it would prefer measures that promote young girls’ self-determination. Carla Amina Baghajati, its head of education, warned that the ban could strengthen Islamist tendencies by undermining trust in the rule of law and schools.

Teachers’ representatives have also criticised the additional responsibility. Karin Medits-Steiner, chairwoman of the Vienna trade union for compulsory school teachers, said public employees had to implement the law, even if they personally opposed it or believed courts could later overturn it.

The Vienna education directorate said the regulation had been prepared for several months. It has provided schools with information materials and guidelines and held discussions with school heads.

Schools have been contacting families of girls who wear headscarves for months to inform them about the new rules. All sides say the focus is on the welfare of the children and that existing laws must be observed.

The Islamic Religious Community also hopes that Austria’s Constitutional Court will repeal the law, as it did with an earlier headscarf ban in 2020. Youth organisations of the Social Democratic Party have campaigned against the new ban and called for a school strike on Monday.