Parents at a Gold Coast State school consider scarf ban for female students

PARENTS at a Gold Coast State primary school want to ban the hijab for future young female students as their committee moves to toughen its uniform policy.

LNP Coast member Brooke Patterson at the State conference. (AAP Image/Darren England)

PARENTS at a Gold Coast State primary school want to ban the hijab for future young female students to toughen the uniform policy.

But the school principal warns a meeting to discuss uniforms cannot be allowed on the grounds of discrimination and he wants the P&C president to stand down.

LNP Coast member Brooke Patterson debates a resolution at the Liberal National Party (LNP) state convention in Brisbane. (AAP Image/Darren England)

Benowa State School principal Michael Josey told Brooke Patterson she could “not use any political position, platform or agenda to canvas community opinion on the wearing of hijabs”.

Mr Josey said he had to make “reasonable adjustments in relation to religious and cultural beliefs” to ensure the uniform code was consistent with anti-discrimination laws.

Delegates at the LNP state conference supported a motion by Ms Patterson at the weekend to ban girls under the age of 10 from wearing headscarves in schools.

Brooke Patterson, president, Parent and Citizens Association, Benowa Primary School, during an early campaign to fundraise to get airconditioning in classes. Gold Coast. Photo: Regi Varghese

“You will need to step aside with this matter and declare a conflict of interest, as your own personal political views cannot represent or influence the views of the P&C at this school,” Mr Josey wrote.

But Ms Patterson is not backing down, saying principals and P&Cs across Queensland are “grappling with this”.

Jessica Rowe in Sydney. She and other Australian women wore a jihab in support of Muslim women in 2014.

“The P&C in effect approves the uniform at a school level. For uniform companies selling to state schools, one of the growth areas is selling hijabs.

“I will be making it clear that we shouldn’t be saying to any new girls starting at age five that they (their parents) do not put them in these garments until they reach puberty.

“The people who are most vulnerable to this are the poor darling girls between the ages of five and nine. Their religion doesn’t say anything about prepubescent girls wearing a sexual modesty garment.”

The P&C sought clarity on the uniform policy in May after school photographs showed many students failed to adhere to it.

School photographs showed many students failed to adhere to the uniform policy.

Ms Patterson intends to lobby LNP parliamentary shadow ministers, but leader Tim Nicholls does not support the policy. “The LNP parliamentary team has no plans to implement such a ban,” he said.

Ms Patterson acknowledged the impact on students but intends to press forward with the policy at a future P&C state conference.

If a child had been wearing scarfs for several years, they would not be forced to change, she said. But she doubted the P&C would support its tuckshop selling “bottle green hijab garb”.

“If you’re thinking of wearing these things in 35-degree classrooms, it’s revolting. It’s not OK.”

LNP Leader Tim Nicholls. Picture: Jerad Williams

Ms Patterson admitted the issue was “really tricky” for parents but if they agreed to the introduction of the hijab it would create another uniform for a group of students by default.

“Why would you be trying to do that in a secular state? We are not deciding Benowa State School uniforms according to a Muslim culture.”