The Austrian government has introduced a new proposal to ban girls under 14 years old from wearing Islamic veils at educational centers, a measure aimed at curbing family pressures and community dynamics that, according to an increasing number of teachers, restrict minors' freedom in schools with a high Muslim population.
The text, approved by the Council of Ministers and set to be voted on in December, stipulates that female students will not be allowed to wear "a headscarf that covers the head in accordance with Islamic traditions." Parents will be required to ensure compliance, facing fines ranging from 150 to 800 euros. If it receives parliamentary support, the law will take effect in February 2026.
The Minister of Education, Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS), stated that he is confident that this time the Constitutional Court will uphold the regulation. However, the immediate precedent is not encouraging: in 2020, the court struck down a very similar ban approved by Sebastian Kurz's government, citing religious discrimination. That ruling marked a shift by the court toward progressive positions, also evidenced by its endorsement of same-sex marriage in 2017 and assisted suicide in 2020.
To avoid another setback, the proposal includes a gradual warning process. First, a meeting between the school, the student, and the parents. Then, mediation with the district school authority. Only as a last resort will fines be imposed. The goal is to make it clear that the state doesn't seek to "punish" but rather to protect minors from external impositions.
