Nouria Benghabrit Is Bracing To Ban “Niqab” In Algerian Schools

The Ministry of National Education is poised to enact a draft resolution on the functioning of educational institutions that will include new prohibitions, a projected move which is bound to spark off a lot of controversy among the national public opinion.

The planned adoption of this piece of legislation in Parliament will make a woman wearing a veil with her face covered forbidden for all educational employees and for the students themselves.

According to the draft resolution, published by Mr. Messaoud Amraoui, an MP from the Justice, Renaissance and Construction party, the Ministry of National Education is poised to enact brand-new laws for the functioning of the institutions of the sector, and this doubtless will plunge the educational system into a more acrimonious debate than that left by the recent deletion from school books of the religious “Basmalah” and other contentious decisions.

“It requires students to wear clean and decent clothes, and they are required to wear aprons that meet the required specifications,” he said to this effect.

“In no case can students’ clothing be changed without identifying themselves or allowed to withhold any means of cheating during school assignments and tests,” he added.

According to article 71 of the draft, “the employee must demonstrate exemplary behavior and appearance in a decent manner, in terms of grooming that suits the professional framework of the educator and prevents any clothing that prevents identification of the employee.”

MP Messaoud Amraoui, who is  a former trade unionist in the national education sector, gave an initial reading of the draft, warning that the contents of articles 46 and 71 mean that the ministry intends to ban the “Niqab”, which the document considers to be a garment that prevents the identity of the student or employee.

According to this parliamentarian, the draft resolution also applies to clothing worn by residents of the southern regions, as part of efforts to safeguard male and female morality within the country’s schools and colleges.