Argument: A ban would be easy to enforce

As a face covering is very obvious, it would be a school to check to see if someone is wearing one. France [1] and Turkey [2] already have attempted such bans on headscarves, which do not cover the face.

This could be enforced by teachers, not police.

[1] BBC News, ‘French scarf ban comes into force’, 2 September 2004, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/3619988.stm

[2] Rainsford, Sarah, ‘Turkey divided over headscarf ban’, BBC News, 11 February 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7239330.stm

Candidate 1: "Deciding what people can and can’t wear should not be the responsibility of schools. Enforcement may be potentially simple but only at the cost of creating a conflict between schools and their Muslim pupils and staff."
Candidate 2: "Intolerant schools are a problem because they don’t allow freedom of religious expression. In a free society, pupils should appreciate the different faiths of their fellow pupils and respect them. Without that respect, they may just end up going to separate schools which is even more divisive [1] .

As for safety, it also prevents some potential hazards such as hair getting caught in machines or flames, which when hidden won’t be a problem.

[1] The Economist, ‘Faiths and schools Religious rights and wrongs, 4 September 2008, http://www.economist.com/node/12070447"
Candidate 3: "It’s not seen as oppressive by those who wear it – instead they see at as a way of preserving their modesty and privacy. Everyone has their own tolerance as to how much clothing makes them comfortable. It’s a personal decision that should be left to the individual."
Candidate 4: "No-one is in a vacuum – everyone has social pressures affecting what they wear.

Banning veils itself is divisive and will create strong reactions in highly religious communities [1] . Framing laws that only ban the veil could be seen as an attack on Islam, and lead Muslim communities to think they are being unfairly targeted. The result will be that they won’t co-operate with people of other faiths. This would be bad for society and make extremists more influential.

[1] Huffington Post, ‘France Bans Burqas: A Look At Islamic Veil Laws in Europe’, 4 November 2011, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/11/burqa-policies-europe_n_847575.html#s263174&amp;title=France_"

Deciding what people can and can’t wear should not be the responsibility of schools. Enforcement may be potentially simple but only at the cost of creating a conflict between schools and their Muslim pupils and staff.
