(Deutsche Welle) Kiel University on Wednesday announced that it has banned full-face coverings in classrooms, citing the need for open communication that includes facial expressions and gestures.
However, the university in the capital of the German state Schleswig-Holstein clarified that its action did not comprise a full ban. “On campus, students may wear a burqa or niqab, which only has one eyeslit,” said university spokesman Boris Pawlowski.
Pawlowski said the decision was not exceptional since other universities, such as the University of Giessen, had imposed similar bans. State Education Minister Karin Prien earlier this month backed the decision and pledged to amend legislation to extend it to all schools in the state.
