National Council Decided with Large Majority on Headscarf Ban in Schools

Only the Greens voted against it. They supported the initiative but were convinced that the specific law is unconstitutional. The Freedom Party, on the other hand, missed a headscarf ban for teachers as well, but voted for the coalition's proposal. The Islamic Religious Community plans to appeal to the Constitutional Court.

Also included in the amendment is a new suspension support. However, the focus of the debate was the headscarf ban in schools. It is intended to apply to a head covering that "covers the head according to Islamic traditions." School events outside the school building are not included in the headscarf ban. Sanctions are possible from the 2026/27 school year - as a last resort, fines ranging from 150 to 800 euros can be imposed.

Headscarf Ban: Restriction vs. Protection of Freedom

NEOS club chairman Yannick Shetty emphasized that this is not about restricting freedom, but about protecting the freedom of girls up to 14. Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS) spoke of a fundamental right to personal development and growth independent of constraints. The headscarf is not a harmless piece of cloth, but a symbol of oppression, argued Integration Minister Claudia Plakolm (ÖVP).

The coalition emphasized that the problem with the headscarf has intensified in recent years. Now there is not only pressure from the family environment, but also from young men who feel called to be moral guardians, said Plakolm. VP General Secretary Nico Marchetti stressed that teachers are not left alone in implementing the law. It is not the educators who must enforce the ban, but only provide the information to the school administration, which then takes further steps.

FPÖ Also Agreed

The Freedom Party emphasized that the issue was only pressing because "mass immigration" had been allowed over the past years. They supported the ban, as it had been a long-standing demand of the Freedom Party, explained education spokesperson Hermann Brückl. After all, the headscarf is a "deliberately set symbol of political Islam".

Every girl has the right to a self-determined life, and it is absolutely unacceptable for female students to be required to wear a headscarf or lower their gaze, expressed Green Party member Sigrid Maurer in support of the initiative. However, the government itself knows that the law will be overturned by the Constitutional Court.

"That will be decided by the Constitutional Court and not by you," replied Marchetti. Wiederkehr listed some accompanying measures such as additional work with boys to argue why this ban should hold, in contrast to the turquoise-blue law overturned by the Constitutional Court.

SPÖ Not Pleased with Headscarf Ban

The SPÖ apparently had little enthusiasm for the topic. Their first speaker, Heinrich Himmer, only spoke about the other measures, such as the requirement for excluded or suspended students to attend up to 20 hours of suspension support. Mandatory perspective discussions are intended to help prevent school dropouts. Here too, penalties are threatened if parents refuse to cooperate. SPÖ's second speaker, Christian Oxonitsch, addressed the headscarf ban rather briefly, stating that it alone would not solve the problems that have arisen, and that, for example, increased work with boys is also needed.

The Islamic Religious Community (IGGÖ) announced a complaint to the Constitutional Court (VfGH) following the decision. According to President Ümit Vural, the regulation raises constitutional and human rights concerns "after careful legal examination". "No child should be forced to wear a headscarf, that is unchangeable for us. But likewise, no child should be prevented by state bans from voluntarily living their religious identity," he stated in a release.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.