A new school headscarf is set to be introduced following pressure from pupils. Pleckgate High School, Blackburn, saw girls rebel after bringing in a uniform hijab, complaining it was ill-fitting or against their Islamic principles.
The school began working with a group of girls on a new design which will become uniform policy after the half-term holiday. Headteacher Cherry Ridgway said: “All the girls have behaved well throughout the process and parents have been very supportive.”
The school decided to only include the girls who found the scarf uncomfortable in the redesign.
Mariyah Mahmud, 15, said: “I don’t think there will be any more problems over the headscarf now. They talked to us and let us have our say and now all the girls are happy. Now that there is no issue with the length of it around the neck I don’t think anyone will complain.”
The new headscarf will be longer than the two designs which were rejected and will bear the school emblem on the front. Ms Ridgway said: “One or two girls said they would prefer it not to have the school logo but, as the longer design covers the tie, it is important that this carries the logo as it is part of the uniform.”
The pupils who refused to wear the headscarf because it was too small have been allowed to sport their own choice of plain hijab in the meantime.