This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/bradford/6046992.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| School suspends woman over veil | School suspends woman over veil |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A Muslim woman has been suspended by a school in West Yorkshire after she insisted on wearing a veil in lessons. | A Muslim woman has been suspended by a school in West Yorkshire after she insisted on wearing a veil in lessons. |
| Bilingual support worker Aishah Azmi, 24, was asked to remove the veil after pupils found it hard to understand her during English language lessons. | Bilingual support worker Aishah Azmi, 24, was asked to remove the veil after pupils found it hard to understand her during English language lessons. |
| Headfield Church of England Junior School, in Dewsbury, said she could wear the veil outside the classroom. | Headfield Church of England Junior School, in Dewsbury, said she could wear the veil outside the classroom. |
| Ms Azmi refused and was suspended pending the outcome of an employment tribunal, Kirklees Council said. | Ms Azmi refused and was suspended pending the outcome of an employment tribunal, Kirklees Council said. |
| The tribunal heard the case in September and is due to announce its decision within the next two weeks. | The tribunal heard the case in September and is due to announce its decision within the next two weeks. |
| There is no religious obligation whatsoever for Muslim women to cover themselves up in front of primary school children Shahid Malik, Labour MP for Dewsbury | There is no religious obligation whatsoever for Muslim women to cover themselves up in front of primary school children Shahid Malik, Labour MP for Dewsbury |
| Dewsbury MP Shahid Malik backed the school's decision, saying: "In schools the top priority has got to be the education of our children. | Dewsbury MP Shahid Malik backed the school's decision, saying: "In schools the top priority has got to be the education of our children. |
| "I fully support the decision of the education authority and the school in requesting the classroom assistant remove her veil when teaching primary school children. | |
| "I believe the education authority has bent over backwards to be accommodating and has been extremely reasonable and sensible in the decision it has come to. | "I believe the education authority has bent over backwards to be accommodating and has been extremely reasonable and sensible in the decision it has come to. |
| "There is no religious obligation whatsoever for Muslim women to cover themselves up in front of primary school children." | "There is no religious obligation whatsoever for Muslim women to cover themselves up in front of primary school children." |
| 'Inadequate standards' | |
| The school, which has 529 pupils aged seven to 11, takes many children from different ethnic backgrounds where English is not the first language. | The school, which has 529 pupils aged seven to 11, takes many children from different ethnic backgrounds where English is not the first language. |
| An Ofsted report carried out in February said: "The first languages spoken by most children are Panjabi, Gujarati and Urdu, and many children are still learning to speak English. | |
| "Significant improvement is required in relation to the inadequate standards of achievement reached by children and their slow progress over time. | |
| "Children's speaking skills are poor and this holds them back in most aspects of their work." | |
| Kirklees Council's children's services spokesman, Jim Dodds, said Ms Azmi's suspension was "nothing to do with religion". | |
| Teachers' concern | Teachers' concern |
| "We are simply trying to ensure that our children get the best possible education," he said. | |
| "Both pupils and teachers raised concerns because they were finding it difficult to make out what she was saying during lessons. | "Both pupils and teachers raised concerns because they were finding it difficult to make out what she was saying during lessons. |
| "We have a lot of pupils who do not speak English as a first language and you have to be able to see people's lips move when you are being taught. | "We have a lot of pupils who do not speak English as a first language and you have to be able to see people's lips move when you are being taught. |
| "We asked this young lady to remove her veil when she was teaching English language, but she refused." | "We asked this young lady to remove her veil when she was teaching English language, but she refused." |
| Mr Dodds said that even if Ms Azmi won her case the council would not change its position. | Mr Dodds said that even if Ms Azmi won her case the council would not change its position. |
| "Our only concern is that the children are taught properly," he said. | "Our only concern is that the children are taught properly," he said. |
| Last week, Commons leader Jack Straw angered some Muslims when he said wearing the veil made community relations more difficult. | Last week, Commons leader Jack Straw angered some Muslims when he said wearing the veil made community relations more difficult. |