A Birmingham MP has demanded school inspectors Ofsted scrap plans to ask schoolgirls why they wear the Hijab.
Edgbaston MP Preet Gill wrote to Education Secretary Justine Greening to say the proposal had “caused outrage among many of my constituents”.
It follows the announcement that inspectors will question Muslim primary school pupils with headscarves such as a hijab to ask why they wear it.
Ofsted and the Department for Education have required schools to teach and reflect British values since the “Trojan horse” affair in Birmingham in 2014, when an inquiry found there was a “co-ordinated, deliberate and sustained” campaign to introduce “an intolerant and aggressive Islamic ethos into a few schools” in the city.
Amanda Spielman, the head of Ofsted and chief inspector of schools, said in November that encouraging primary school children to wear the hijab “could be interpreted as sexualisation of young girls”.
The announcement has been controversial, with the Muslim Council of Britain saying it sent a message that British women who choose to wear a headscarf are “second class citizens”.
In her letter, Labour MP Ms Gill said: “It is vital that all communities are able to practice their religion free from persecution. In particular, I believe that children should not be subjected to unnecessary questioning by Ofsted inspectors.”
She told Ms Greening: “I’m sure that you will agree that all children should be free to practice their religion without undue interference. I ask that you work with Ofsted to ensure that young Muslim girls are able to practice their religion free from discrimination or interrogation.”
