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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Senedd protest for 'bangle' girl | Senedd protest for 'bangle' girl |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Protesters will voice their support for a teenager excluded from a school for wearing a Sikh bangle. | Protesters will voice their support for a teenager excluded from a school for wearing a Sikh bangle. |
| Sarika Singh, 14, has not attended Aberdare Girls' School, Cynon Valley, since 5 November and a legal challenge has been filed at the High Court. | Sarika Singh, 14, has not attended Aberdare Girls' School, Cynon Valley, since 5 November and a legal challenge has been filed at the High Court. |
| The cross-party protest will call for revised school uniform guidance to be issued as soon as possible. | The cross-party protest will call for revised school uniform guidance to be issued as soon as possible. |
| The Welsh Assembly Government said fresh guidance will be issued shortly on a range of school uniform issues. | The Welsh Assembly Government said fresh guidance will be issued shortly on a range of school uniform issues. |
| Aberdare Girls' School bans all jewellery saying the policy ensures equality. | Aberdare Girls' School bans all jewellery saying the policy ensures equality. |
| Sarika has been receiving tuition at home since her exclusion in November and is eager to return to school. | Sarika has been receiving tuition at home since her exclusion in November and is eager to return to school. |
| "The protest is for the Welsh assembly (government) guidelines, they've had four years now to look through them," Sarika said. | "The protest is for the Welsh assembly (government) guidelines, they've had four years now to look through them," Sarika said. |
| "They said they were going to issue them at the beginning of 2008, now 2008 is here we want to know where the guidelines are." | "They said they were going to issue them at the beginning of 2008, now 2008 is here we want to know where the guidelines are." |
| Aberdare Girls' School only allows ear studs and a wrist-watch | |
| Before the lunchtime protest at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay, South Wales Central AM Leanne Wood said: "I think the school has made a mistake in Sarika's case, which has been partly caused by the absence of clear Welsh guidance on uniform policy. | Before the lunchtime protest at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay, South Wales Central AM Leanne Wood said: "I think the school has made a mistake in Sarika's case, which has been partly caused by the absence of clear Welsh guidance on uniform policy. |
| "I don't want to blame the school. I want to find a solution that other pupils and families do not have to go through this distressful process in the future." | "I don't want to blame the school. I want to find a solution that other pupils and families do not have to go through this distressful process in the future." |
| Ms Wood is also expected to call for a review of the powers of school governors. | Ms Wood is also expected to call for a review of the powers of school governors. |
| "In the past year I have dealt with a number of cases where constituents have had serious concerns about the decisions of school governors," she added. | "In the past year I have dealt with a number of cases where constituents have had serious concerns about the decisions of school governors," she added. |
| An application for judicial review of Sarika's exclusion is awaiting adjudication at the High Court. | An application for judicial review of Sarika's exclusion is awaiting adjudication at the High Court. |
| 'Obliged' | 'Obliged' |
| Campaign group, Liberty, made the challenge, saying the school had breached race relations and human rights laws. | Campaign group, Liberty, made the challenge, saying the school had breached race relations and human rights laws. |
| It said it also breached a decision made by the Lords which allows Sikh children to wear items representing their faith, including turbans to school. | It said it also breached a decision made by the Lords which allows Sikh children to wear items representing their faith, including turbans to school. |
| School governors rejected her request to wear the bangle after a "significant period of research" examining the uniform policy and human rights legislation in detail. | School governors rejected her request to wear the bangle after a "significant period of research" examining the uniform policy and human rights legislation in detail. |
| Rhondda Cynon Taff Council has told the governors of Aberdare Girls School it would no longer give them any more support or financial assistance. | |
| The council said it initially helped the governors in preparing a response to the case put forward by Liberty. | |
| Policy | |
| However it said legally, the decision was one for the school's governors not the local education authority. | |
| A Welsh Assembly Government spokesperson said there was no legislation specifically covering the wearing of school uniform. | A Welsh Assembly Government spokesperson said there was no legislation specifically covering the wearing of school uniform. |
| "Whether or not a school uniform policy unlawfully breaches the Race Relations Act 1976 is a matter for the courts," he added. | |
| "School uniform and appearance issues, including the wearing of jewellery, are local matters for individual schools to decide upon. | "School uniform and appearance issues, including the wearing of jewellery, are local matters for individual schools to decide upon. |
| "Governing bodies are obliged to take into account race and sex discrimination legislation when deciding on a school uniform policy," he said. | "Governing bodies are obliged to take into account race and sex discrimination legislation when deciding on a school uniform policy," he said. |