Headscarf Ban in Schools: Government Expects Around 12,000 Affected Girls

In 2019 - when the first headscarf ban, which was later overturned by the Constitutional Court (VfGH), was enacted - there were 3,000, said Family and Integration Minister Claudia Plakolm (ÖVP) at a press conference on Thursday. The National Council is expected to pass the measure as a simple law in December.

The figures were extrapolated by experts based on a study from 2019, said Plakolm, noting that the proportion of Muslim students has since changed. At that time, 10.7 percent of Muslim female students under 14 years old wore a headscarf, according to NEOS club chairman Yannick Shetty. There are no current figures yet. In the future, however, it will be continuously monitored how the case numbers and backgrounds develop. Previously, the pressure mainly came from the family itself, now it comes from supposed role models on social media, Plakolm explained.

Constitutional Provision Off the Table

Due to concerns that this law might also not hold up before the VfGH, she had previously wished for a law with constitutional status, which would have required a two-thirds majority. However, the SPÖ in particular opposed it. It would be a "no-go" to pass a measure as a constitutional law "even though there are massive concerns regarding its constitutionality," Shetty also said. The constitutional concerns have now been cleared away.

State Protection State Secretary Jörg Leichtfried (SPÖ), Plakolm, and Shetty expressed confidence that the ban will hold. Terms and age limits have been clarified after the review, noted the Integration Minister. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the VfGH would consider interventions in religious freedom permissible if they are objectively justified. Shetty pointed to "strong accompanying measures" such as an expansion of work with boys and "empowerment projects" for girls.

Headscarf Ban in Schools: Children's Headscarf "Sign of Oppression"

"A headscarf on an eleven-year-old girl is and remains a sign of oppression," Plakolm justified the necessity of the ban. The notion that children are told they must hide and protect themselves from the eyes of strange men would severely restrict their development: "Girls develop feelings of shame, they get a distorted body image, an unstable self-esteem, and are more frequently subjected to social isolation and bullying." The forced wearing of a headscarf also goes hand in hand with early sexualization, said Leichtfried. Banning all religious symbols from schools, however, would be a "misguided topic" when it comes to protecting girls from oppression, Plakolm said.

The ban on wearing a headscarf according to Islamic tradition applies in school, but not outside, so ski courses, for example, are excluded. After all, there are additional protection rights in public spaces, said Plakolm. The ban will start from the semester break in 2026 with an "awareness phase," and sanctions are possible from the 2026/27 school year. The penalty range is 150 to 800 euros. However, penalties will only be applied after discussions and repeated violations.

For the FPÖ, the initiative can "at most be a first step," as stated in a press release on Thursday. "The headscarf is a symbol of political Islam, the oppression and patronization of women, and therefore has no place in our schools at all," said family spokesperson Ricarda Berger. The ban must subsequently "also be extended to all female students, teachers, and caregivers." The Freedom Party also wants a ban law against political Islam and the "immediate stop of illegal mass immigration."

(APA/Red)

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