The Austrian National Council has approved a law banning headscarves in schools for girls under the age of 14. The legislation will apply to both public and private schools, covering all forms of Islamic head coverings such as hijabs and burqas. Only the Greens voted against the measure.
Under the new law, repeated violations will trigger meetings between school authorities, students, and their parents, with further cases reported to child and youth welfare services. Families could face fines ranging from €150 to €800, and in severe cases, up to two weeks in prison. An initial information phase will run from January to the summer holidays of 2026, with the ban fully taking effect from the start of the 2026/27 school year.
The legislation is intended to address social and family pressures that may compel young girls to wear headscarves. Integration Minister Claudia Plakolm emphasized that the number of affected students has grown from around 3,000 in 2019 to approximately 12,000 today.
The proposal follows a previous attempt to ban headscarves for girls under 10, which was overturned by Austria’s Constitutional Court in 2020 for violating the right to freedom of religion. Current lawmakers have adjusted the age threshold and legal framework in an effort to address these constitutional concerns.
