The Songkhla Provincial Administrative Court of Thailand has ordered that female Muslim students be allowed to wear a hijab at Anuban Pattani School in predominantly Muslim Pattani province.
Upholding the students’ right to dress in accordance with their religious beliefs, the court on October 29 issued an injunction against the school’s ban on hijabs, in response to a complaint filed by 20 parents.
The parents said their daughters had been punished with the loss of behavioural-conduct points because they wore hijabs.
Located inside a Buddhist monastery in Pattani’s Muang district, Anuban Pattani School has regarded the Muslim head scarf as a violation of its dress code.
Its administrators cited a recent regulation from the Education Ministry requiring schools to enforce their dress codes.
The issue had been the subject of heated debate for months. In May, Deputy Education Minister Lt-General Surachet Chaiwong intervened to prevent the dress-code row from escalating.
source:nationmultimedia
