Austria is set to ban girls under 14 from wearing Islamic headscarves in schools amid claims such garments are “a sign of oppression”. Details of the proposed ban were revealed by Austrian State Secretary Jorg Leichtfried and Integration Minister Claudia Plakolm on Thursday (November 20).

Ms Plakolm is quoted by local media as saying: “A headscarf on an 11-year-old girl is and remains a sign of oppression. Girls develop feelings of shame, they get a distorted body image, an unstable sense of self-worth.” The minister said the law, which has yet to be debated in parliament, would apply from the 2026-27 academic year.

It would apply to classrooms, playgrounds and sports fields at all schools. The ban would reportedly be introduced in two phases, with an initial awareness-raising campaign so children, parents, and school leaders know the rules.

Penalties for breaking the new rules would then come into force from September next year as the ban is applied.

An initial draft of the proposed legislation includes fines of up to £880, according to the Daily Mail. Previous efforts to introduce a ban were abandoned in 2019 after a court said it would violate laws on religious freedom.

Austria’s Constitutional Court ruled in 2020 that a law banning girls aged up to 10 from wearing religious clothing linked with “covering of the head” in school was discriminatory.

The court said there was a risk that law may make it harder for Muslim girls to access education and result in their being excluded from society, according to an article published by Al Jazeera at the time.

Austria’s governing coalition parties are now said to be confident of success. Ms Plakolm said: “Every girl in Austria should grow up free, visible, and self-determined. And that is precisely what we are taking an important step towards today.”

Austria banned face coverings in public places throughout the country in October 2017.

Its Anti-Face Veiling Act aims to “enable interpersonal communication” which the Austrian government has said is necessary for “peaceful coexistence in a democratic, constitutional state”. The law applies to everyone who lives in Austria.

In general, it is usually an offence punishable by law to cover or conceal facial features in public places or in public buildings in a way where facial features aren’t recognisable.

Anyone found to have broken those rules faces a fine of up to £132 (150 euros).