A teacher has revealed how she was forced to resign after refusing to comply with a strict school dress code insisting all female staff wear hijabs regardless of their religion.
Al-Madinah School has imposed strict conditions on what teachers can wear and has told staff they can't take non-halal food into school or wear jewellery.
Now a former teacher, who has more 20 years of classroom experience, has told how she was forced to quit after being 'hassled' when she deviated from the Quran-quoting dress code.
The 50-year-old started working at Al-Madinah when it opened as a multi-faith free school a year ago.
She said: 'It wasn’t until an induction session, just before the school opened, that female non-Muslim staff were told they must wear a head covering, which was not made clear at any time during my interview for the job or was part of any contract.
'I reluctantly complied and either wore a head scarf or small hat, but took it off when I wasn’t in the classroom, but for which I was reprimanded.
'Wearing the head covering was difficult for me because I am a Christian and had I known it was compulsory for non-Muslim staff I would never have accepted the position.'
The teacher, who does not want to be named, said she was even sent a text from the school saying it 'insisted on' a 'modest dress code. Full length dress or skirt acceptable'. She said she asked how her outfit - a business suit - was not modest. 'The skirt was well below the knee and I wore thick black tights that covered my legs', she said.
The teacher told how she was offended at the suggestion her clothes were 'immodest' and was left particularly angry after being was told to take instructions from two male teachers about what was considered 'modest'. Read on and comment » | Susannah Hills | Tuesday, September 24, 2013
