In a multicultural society, students should be aware of the different religious practices and cultural traditions of their classmates, and be taught to understand and respect these. Without such respect, Muslims and other groups with distinctive dress, such as Orthodox Jews and Sikhs, will be driven out of mainstream education and forced to educate their children separately, which will really create divisions and alienation. As for the so-called safety issues, most classroom accidents occur when loose, long hair gets caught in machinery or in a flame - not a problem when hair is held in place under a headscarf!
Schools make up problems about the hijab as an excuse for intolerance of Muslims.