Austria’s planned headscarf ban for girls under 14 has sparked new criticism—this time from teachers’ unions linked to the Social Democratic Party. The teachers’ representative body called the measure a “blatant miss of the mark,” arguing that the government should address broader problems in schools instead of focusing on a small minority of girls wearing headscarves.
The Central Committee of Secondary School Teachers also criticized the four-stage sanctioning process, calling for parents to be involved from the start, as girls often do not wear the headscarf voluntarily.
The federal government, led by ÖVP, SPÖ, and Neos, defends the ban, emphasizing the best interests of the child and equal opportunities. Integration Minister Claudia Plakolm noted that around 12,000 underage girls currently wear a headscarf and cited France’s experience, which shows improved educational outcomes after similar bans.
The FPÖ supports the ban in principle but calls for it to extend to teachers and childcare staff.
