Austria’s Integration, Family and EU Affairs Minister Claudia Plakolm announced on Wednesday that the government had agreed to a headscarf ban for children under 14 in schools.
Plakolm said after a Cabinet meeting that the ban will take effect in the autumn.
She noted that it would cover public and private schools, underlining that non-compliance would lead to a meeting with the family, followed by fines of $175 (€150) to $1,170 (€1,000) for parents.
Asked why pupils can wear a cross but not a headscarf, Plakolm argued the headscarf is a “symbol of oppression.”
She said the state’s duty is to ensure girls grow up free to make their own choices, stressing that schools must be safe spaces for development where nothing should hinder that.
“Girls should be able to grow up freely, visibly, and self-confidently in our country,” her post on X read.
“That is why we have decided to ban the children's headscarf. It will be accompanied by a package of measures for raising awareness among parents, empowerment for girls, and consistent work with boys,” she wrote.
The Islamic Religious Community in Austria (IGGO) criticised the decision, noting that all efforts beforehand to work towards a constitutional solution were ignored.
"Headscarf ban is symbolic politics at the expense of children and democracy," it said in a statement.
It warned that the decision would erode trust in the rule of law and threaten social cohesion, while stigmatising and marginalising children instead of empowering them.
Austria’s Constitutional Court struck down a headscarf ban in 2020, partly because it targeted Muslims.
