Austria agrees on headscarf ban for students under 14

VIENNA / ISTANBUL

Austria’s Integration, Family and EU Affairs Minister Claudia Plakolm announced Wednesday that the government agreed to a headscarf ban for children under 14 in schools.

Plakolm announced after a Cabinet meeting that the ban will take effect in the fall.

She noted that it would cover public and private schools, underlining that non-compliance would lead to a meeting with the family, followed by fines of €150 ($175) to €1,000 ($1,170) for parents.

Asked why students can wear a cross but not a headscarf, Plakolm argued the headscarf is a “symbol of oppression,” unlike the kippah or the cross.

She said the state’s duty is to ensure girls grow up free to make their own choices, stressing that schools must be safe spaces for development where nothing should hinder that.

The Islamic Religious Community in Austria (IGGO) criticized the decision, noting that all efforts beforehand to work toward a constitutional solution were ignored.

"Headscarf ban is symbolic politics at the expense of children and democracy," it said in a statement.

It warned that the decision would erode trust in the rule of law and threaten social cohesion, while stigmatizing and marginalizing children instead of empowering them.

Austria’s Constitutional Court struck down a headscarf ban in 2020, partly because it targeted Muslims.​​​​​​​