Parents threatened with court as daughter won’t to wear short school skirt
A religious family have allegedly been threatened with court action for refusing to send their 12-year-old daughter to school in a uniform that is "against their beliefs".
Siham Hamud has worn a longer skirt to school for years to keep in line with her religion.
But on December 1, teachers reportedly told her she must change her attire.
The school-girl was sent home every day for a month and ordered to wear a shorter skirt, but she refused.
Now dad Idris Hamud, 55, says the school’s uniform contravenes his families strict religious beliefs.
Uxbridge High School says girls should wear black trousers or a black pleated skirt from official uniform suppliers – which the family claims falls above the knee.
The school in Hillingdon, Middlesex, has now threatened to action steps to take Idris and wife Salma Yusuf, 44, to court over Siham's alleged unauthorised absences.
Siham, who is Muslim, has been studying from home during lockdown, said it was "annoying" that she was being kept from the classroom.
She said: "I find it annoying because I've missed a month of school, so I have to catch up a lot. I wish I could just have gone to school as normal.
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"It makes me feel left out because I can't see my friends either. They aren't accepting me for my religion and that's wrong.
"I feel confused and annoyed that I can't wear what I want for my religion. I hope they'll change their rules so that girls like me wear skirts to school."
Idris, an athletics coach, said his daughter was being denied an education because of her religion.
He said: "All Siham wants to do is to wear a skirt which is a few centimetres longer than her classmates – and I don't know why the school has such a problem with this.
"She is sent home to change into a shorter skirt then return to school later that day – but she isn't going to change her beliefs in an hour.
"The school is threatening to take legal action against me, but I'm not forcing her to wear a longer skirt – it's her faith and her decision to make."
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Siham's family said a new rule about skirts was introduced two years ago, stating shorter school-branded skirts had to be worn.
But the family claim they didn't know – and Siham continued wearing her longer skirt, unaware she was breaking any rules, until she was pulled up on December 1.
She was sent home to change – but didn't return to school – and the same thing happened each day for the three weeks of term in December, her family said.
Idris said they follow a traditional branch of Islam and "want to believe in their religion in a pure way", which means women should only wear long skirts.
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The school sent a letter threatening legal action over "unauthorised absences" on December 9.
It said: "Unauthorised absence may result in a fine being issued, or legal action being taken against the adults who have parental responsibility or day-to-day care of your child.
"Legal action can be in the form of a penalty notice or a summons to the magistrates' court."
Idris added: "Siham makes her own decisions about her religion, and I can't make her wear clothes she doesn't want to wear, so neither should the school.
"She is being denied an education because of her religious beliefs, and I don't know how anyone can get away with that."
While Siham has been learning from home during lockdown, Idris expects the issue to return once teaching resumes.
The school's principal, Nigel Clemens, said: "This matter is currently subject to examination through the formal school complaints policy. It would therefore not be appropriate to comment further at this time."
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