Hundreds of Muslims have staged a protest at Government House against the Wat Nong Chok secondary school's ban on wearing head scarves.
Muslims and peace activists protest at Government House against Wat Nong Chok secondary school in Bangkok yesterday, accusing it of breaching education regulations by banning hijab headscarfs. CHANAT KATANYU
The demonstration culminated in Education Minister Woravat Au-apinyakul knocking down a mock "wall of prejudice" with a sledgehammer.
The protesters, led by the Muslim Group for Peace, marched from the Royal Plaza to Government House to hand a letter of protest to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
Mr Woravat received the letter on behalf of the premier.
As part of their demonstration, the protesters built next to Government House a brick wall painted with the word "prejudism", representing the wall separating Buddhism and Islam.
Protesters gave Mr Woravat a sledgehammer and he drove it into the wall.
Mathayom Wat Nong Chok School, in Nong Chok district, has had 17 Muslim girl students. Almost all of them have graduated except for 17-year-old Atitaya Sulaiman, who is in Mathayom 6.
Haneef Yongstar, a lawyer with the Muslim Group for Peace, said Ms Atitaya had been banned from entering the school grounds unless she took off her hijab, or Muslim head scarf. The school imposed the ban on the head scarf during the final semester last year.
Because she refused to do so, she had to be home-schooled by the group and other volunteers. The deprivation of proper schooling resulted in her grade point average slipping to 3.1 from 3.5.
On Dec 6, when the school opened for the second semester, she decided to go back to school _ with her head covered by the hijab. Four school deputy directors promptly filed complaints against her.
The next day she was refused entry into a physics class.
"On Dec 8, the school security guard stopped her and blocked her from entering the school.
"The guard pulled at her hijab and shoulder bag," Mr Haneef said.
"It's this incident which drove us to stage the protest today."
Nobody at the school could be reached for comment yesterday.
Mr Haneef said the group fights for religious diversity in schools.
It has argued the constitution and Section 12 of the Education Ministry's regulation on student uniforms allows pupils to cover their heads with a hijab and wear a long-sleeved shirt and skirt.
On June 29, 2011, the Education Ministry issued a letter signed by the permanent-secretary which said banning the hijab in any school ran afoul of its regulations.
"However, the Nong Chok temple school still prohibits its pupils from wearing the hijab, claiming the school is located in the compound of a Buddhist temple," said Mr Haneef.
"They argued that people feel uncomfortable seeing the girls covered by the hijab entering the temple compound," he said.
The school is ignoring the ministry's regulations, he said.
The Muslim Group for Peace issued three demands. First, it called on the school to comply with ministry regulations on student uniforms and raise understanding about the dress code for Muslim girls among teachers, students and staff.
Second, the school must send a letter to Ms Atitaya's parents stating that wearing a hijab does not represent misconduct.
Third, the school must provide catch-up classes to Atitaya who missed classes for a whole semester.
She has only two months to go before she finishes Mathayom 6.
Yongyos Gateleka, the girl's legal guardian, said Ms Atitaya had felt depressed and under pressure until the Muslim group and volunteers stepped in to help provide her with home schooling.
"School must be a safe place for students, but in this case it is apparently not," Mr Yongyos said.
Mr Woravat expressed his regret for what happened and reiterated the dress code for Muslim girls does not conflict with any ministry regulations.
The ministry's mission is to provide education to all regardless of their religion, he said. He has asked the Office of Basic Education Commission to solve the problem as soon as possible.