Austria agrees on headscarf ban for students under 14 Non-compliance to lead to meeting with family, then fines of $175 - $1,170 for parents

(Anadolu) 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.

Read more.