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Row over barring Sikh girl from wearing “kara”

LONDON: A Welsh Sikh schoolgirl has gone to court after her school barred her from attending classes for wearing a “kara” (bangle) saying it was in breach of its dress code that allows girls to wear only a wrist watch and earrings.

Sarika Singh (14), a student of the Aberdeen Girls Schools in South Wales, was temporarily “excluded” from school last month after she insisted on wearing the “kara” on religious grounds.

“It’s very important to me, it constantly reminds me to do good and not to do bad, especially with my hands,” she said.

A legal challenge on her behalf has been filed in the High Court by the human rights group, Liberty. Ms. Singh’s mother, Sinita Singh, said her daughter was willing to remove the bangle for gym classes and on other occasions when it was necessary for safety reasons.

“She’s not asking for anything big and flashy, she’s not making a big fuss, she just wants a reminder of her religion,” she said.

The decision also drew protests from the Sikh Federation U.K. which said that a “kara” was an article of faith for Sikhs and the school’s decision amounted to racial discrimination.

“The Department for Education and Schools in England have said that if a head teacher or governing body were to deny a Sikh child one of their articles of faith such as the bangle then they would be breaking the law,” Jagtar Singh, secretary of the Federation, said. He added: “If you are a practising Sikh, you have no choice, you have to have the kara. It is the one symbol that virtually every single Sikh wears.”

A member of the Wales Assembly Leanne Wood said she was not convinced that the school had good reasons to exclude Sarika.

School authorities, however, insist that they took the decision after a “significant” study of legal and human rights aspects.

Jane Rosser, head teacher, said the school had a strict dress code designed to ensure equality and had been in force for many years.

“The code clearly states the only two forms of jewellery that girls are allowed to wear in school are a wrist watch and one pair of plain metal stud earrings,” she said.

Ian Blake, chairman of the school’s governing body, said the decision was taken only after a “significant period of research into previous cases across the U.K., interrogation of the law, including human rights and race relations legislation.”

It had also taken legal guidance from the Local Education Authority before making up its mind.

Last year, a Muslim schoolgirl lost her legal appeal against her school’s decision to exclude her for insisting on wearing a “jilbab.”

Unlike France, where there is a blanket ban on wearing religious symbols in schools, Britain has no clear-cut policy with individual school authorities taking their own decisions.

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