Cairo: In a significant move, the Egyptian governmenthas issued a decision banning female students from wearing niqab— a veil that covers the face worn by Muslim women— in schools.
The decision will be effective from the beginning of the new academic year, which is scheduled to begin on Saturday, September 30.
Education Minister Reda Hegazy made the announcement on Monday, September 11, adding that female students would still have the right to choose to wear the headscarf, but insisted that it should not cover their faces.
He also said that the child’s guardian should be aware of his choice, and that it should be done without any external pressure.
The decision to ban the niqab in Egyptian schools sparked responses on social media platforms, and while some expressed their rejection of the decision, others declared their support for it.
There has been an ongoing debate about wearing the niqab in schools for many years in Egypt.
A number of public and private institutions across Egypt already impose a ban on wearing the niqab.
Cairo University has banned faculty members from wearing face veils since 2015, a rule that was upheld by an Egyptian court in 2020.
