Catalunya’s regional government is considering banning the burkha in schools, but allowing Muslim girls to continue to wear a hiyab if they wish.
Whilst the burkha covers the entire face – leaving just a thin strip for the eyes – a hiyab only covers wearer’s hair and leaves her face on display.
The Generalitat says this is the best possible solution to allow pupils to continue to follow their religious beliefs, but without ‘impeding intercommunication between students’.
Politicians say headscarves that cover the entire faces ‘make vision and head movement difficult’ and can even ‘impede hand and arm movements’.
They also say that facial expressions, being one of the most important factors of verbal communication and ‘social and educational relations’ are lost if hidden behind a burkha.
“But hiyabs, and turbans in the case of Sikhs, do not make life difficult for the child as they only cover their hair,” says a parliamentary spokesperson.
They say that in no case should a child be expelled for refusing to take off their headgear, as was the case with a teenage girl in Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid) in April simply for wearing a hiyab, or headscarf.
The Generalitat also says hiyabs can be advantageous as they allow schools to explain – and celebrate – cultural and religious diversity by relating it to real life rather than textbooks.