Education Minister Claude Meisch on Friday announced that girls at Luxembourg schools will no longer be allowed to cover their faces with a veil, as part of a series of measures to ensure the neutrality of schools in a multi-faith environment.
The ban affects only veils which cover up a student’s face and hide their identity, Meisch explained. Headscarves remain allowed.
Meisch also insisted that all students have to take part in the school’s official curriculum and activities, including physical education, and that they will continue to be taught in mixed-sex classes. Students will be taught by both male and female teachers, with Prime Minister Xavier Bettel saying at the Friday press conference that demands to have girls taught by only female teachers are unacceptable.
Additionally, all students have to follow security procedures, regardless of their religious orientation and how this might interfere with regulations.
However, Meisch also acknowledged that school holidays in Luxembourg are centred around Catholic holidays. While there are no plans to change this, Meisch said that students from other religions are able to request a day of leave from their school for a religious holiday.
A letter has been sent to Luxembourg public schools explaining the new regulations, which aim at establishing a clear set of rules and being inclusive towards all students, according to the Premier. Private schools are exempt from the new regulations.