Forcing children to wear the burka to school is “completely wrong” and goes against this country’s values of liberty, Boris Johnson has said.
The Mayor of London said the burka, or full Islamic veil which leaves only a mesh for the eyes, cannot be described as a school uniform.
He was speaking after it emerged a number of secondary schools have forced children as young as 11 to wear the full covering when outside school.
The Madani Girls’ School in Tower Hamlets, east London, stipulates that girls must wear a full burkha and a black coat when outside school.
Girls at the Jamea Al Kauthar school in Lancaster are required to cover their faces when outside the school and wear a jilbab, or long flowing black gown that covers the head and body but leaves the face exposed, when inside.
The Ayesha Siddiqa Girls School in Southall, West London, requires girls to wear the jilbab when travelling to lessons.
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