A Burnley school, Sir John Thursby have introduced a new headscarf for the muslim girls attending this Secondary School. It was brought into effect on 5 June 2017. Unfortunately there was very little consultation by parents or the girls attending the school. Consequently a scarf designed by the school has been created. The scarf is very displeasing for the girls as it bares very little difference to a swimming cap. It is very tight and in some cases too short as some of the girls have long hair and so it defeats the object to wear it.

Whilst the scarf claims to meet health and safety aspects ie. It is fire resistant and you do not need pins to hold it in place it poses a safety threat because it forms a loop which can cause suffocation if it is pulled back by a other person. This school has had episodes of physical attacks....where students have got into fights etc. If a girl wearing one of these scarfs is attacked she could very easily be throttled !

In addition to this point another paramount issue to be taken into consideration is the girls feelings and emotional well being. It is the month of Ramadan which is testing for the girls as is. Adding stress and creating anxiety for them is not any parents wish. The school have not respected the timing of this introduction at all. It has upset families because girls are returning home in tears because their scarf was taken off them! As a parent I am livid to learn my child was put into such a difficult situation. Outrageous!

The school claim the girls have a choice to either wear the 'school approved' scarf or remove their own scarf. My daughter was told to remove her scarf if she wont wear the school approved one....to me that is not a choice but an ultimatum. Similar to that 'so called' choice that was offered to muslim women on the beach in france....'take off your burkini or get off the beach'

Two thousand years of civilisation and this is the best choice the school can offer? Its unfair and not good enough for them to treat my daughter and other girls in this barbaric way.

My daughter has suggested not wearing pins to adhere to health and safety. Beyond the pins there is no risk to anybodys well being? So it begs the question what is the motive of SJT? Is is to streamline the uniform? Well if so the girls already adhere to the black uniform colour.

Is it to reveal any headphones/jewellery worn beneath it? Well if so that is total nonsense because the school approved head scarf can also conceal headphones and earrings! They need to tackle the headphones and jewellery matter in another manner.

So what is the real agenda? It is to put girls off wearing one at all. To weaken the faith of these young influential vulnerable girls. My answer to that is...SJT you are fooling with the wrong crowd.

Please sign this petition to show solidarity and conquer this riculous ideology so that we may be able to send our girls to a school in comfort knowing that their headscarf will not be confiscated. Also, that they will not be reprimanded for wearing a piece of clothing that hundreds of other schools across the country do NOT have any concerns with at all.

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