Azerbaijan, Baku, July 27 / Trend I.Isabalayeva /
The Azerbaijani Education Ministry's Department head Aydin Ahmadov said uniform of high school students is not determined by some group or movement. This is determined by the law, he said.
Ahmadov voiced his attitude to the campaign conducted by the Centre for Protection of Freedom of Conscience and Religion (DEVAMM) against the ban on headscarves in public schools.
He said uniform of high school students is determined by the educational council, which is the supreme body of the school in accordance with the law "On education", as well as under a "model charter of public schools" approved by the Cabinet.
"Earlier, journalists and society raised before the Ministry the question of applying school uniforms. Now, school uniforms are used. The ministry tasked schools to discuss and address this issue with the participation of parents, high school students, school community and members of the public. We support that students come to school in school uniform," he said.
He said only several schoolgirls come to school with headscarves. However, the number of such students is very small in the whole country.
Regarding the measures taken to ensure that a student came to school without a headscarf in the next year, Ahmadov said certain work is carried out in this area. Representatives of the regional education offices and other relevant institutions carry out education work and explain the law to parents of these students.
Ahmadov excluded the removal of students from the school and the lessons for wearing head scarves to school. "Just, the laws in this area should be explained to people," he said.
Some parents are trying to justify why their child goes to school wearing the hijab. However, it appears that wearing the hijab does not depend on the student, but from parent, he said.
"A child in the first form does not even understand the meaning of the hijab. Many parents do force their children to wear the hijab. The schools solve this problem in accordance with the charter," he said.
DEVAMM carries out a campaign to repeal the ban on headscarves in schools. The campaign collected signatures on a petition of more than 100,000 Azerbaijani citizens.
Some famous faces also joined the campaign.