Outrage after Condell Park High School bans student who wore keffiyeh from Year 12 formal
Students, parents and teachers are demanding the state’s education department apologise after a student was banned from attending his Year 12 formal for wearing a Palestinian scarf.
The Express
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Students, parents and teachers are demanding the state’s education department issue an apology after a student was banned from attending his year 12 formal for wearing a Palestinian scarf.
More than 100 people attended a snap protest, organised by advocacy group “Sydney Students 4 Palestine”, outside Condell Park High School, in Sydney’s southwest, on Tuesday.
A number of police officers and NSW Department of Education staff members were also seen monitoring the protest.
Protesters could be heard chanting various names of school staff and claiming the school was “supporting genocide”.
Noura Hussain, a recent graduate of another Sydney school said students were “furious” at the ban.
She claimed it was only one incident of many across NSW schools.
“There is a concerning amount of censorship around Palestinian students expressing their identity, whether that be through banning the keffiyeh or talking about Palestine during school hours,” Ms Hussain said on Tuesday.
Ms Hussain, an Australian of Palestinian heritage, said since the October 7, 2023 attacks, teachers and other staff members had been actively telling students not to discuss Palestine at school.
“It’s disgusting,” she said.
“This is anti-Palestinian racism.
“Every student has a right to express their cultural identity.”
Jennifer, a school counsellor who wished not to identify the school at which she worked, said the ban was a “cowardly act”.
“I’m here because Condell Park High School’s motto is ‘quality education’ and the absolute sadness and anger I feel that a school would be so petty and cruel to stop a child from expressing their identity is hard to comprehend,” she said.
“And it’s not just students.
“Unfortunately, the reality is that a lot of teachers and staff members feel like they can’t talk about what is happening in Palestine because they’re afraid they will lose their jobs.
“We teach children about genocides, but we can’t talk about one actively happening.”
The protest was sparked after a year 12 graduate of Palestinian heritage was banned from attending his end of year formal after wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh to his graduation.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that a number of staff members had asked the teenager to remove the Palestinian scarf despite the school’s history of encouraging students to wear cultural items and clothes to the ceremony.
The teenager has since filed a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission.
A spokesperson for the NSW Department of Education said: “While we recognise it can be challenging for school communities as conflict in the Middle East continues, it is important schools remain neutral places promoting safety, respect and social cohesion”.
“NSW Department of Education Secretary Murat Dizdar has offered to meet with the family of the student,” the spokesperson said.
“We are working towards a resolution to enable all students to celebrate their achievements at the school formal in a safe, respectful and harmonious environment.”
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