Mother explains how teacher at daughter’s school told her to leave for wearing niqab

A Muslim mother explains how a teacher at her daughter’s school told her to leave the premises because she wore the niqab. 

Rachida Serroukh, 37, has launched a discrimination “test case” against the well-known Holland Park School in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea after she was told she could not wear the niqab on school premises.

Ms Serroukh who has worn the niqab for the past 14 years was very happy when her 11-year-old daughter was offered a place at the prestigious school.

But when she attended a parents’ induction evening for new pupils at the school on Tuesday 13 June 2017, she was surprised to be challenged over her decision to wear the niqab.

After a talk by the headteacher, Ms Serroukh was approached by a member of staff who took her into a quiet room and told her it was school policy not to wear the niqab on its premises.

Ms Serroukh requested numerous times to see the school policy which stipulated that visitors were prohibited from wearing a niqab, as she was aware that a friend who also wore a similar face veil had attended school functions since 2012 without encountering any issues.

She claims that the teacher then asked her to leave the school via the rear exit, but she refused, stating that she needed to collect her daughter and would be leaving through the school’s front entrance.

This is her story on how she challenged the school and confidently stood for her principles.

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