London, UK - A Muslim mother was banned from her son’s parents' evening because she was wearing a veil.
The 32-year-old was told she could not enter the school hall wearing her niquab on Tuesday evening for security reasons.
Our Lady and St John Catholic Art College in Blackburn say it is school policy for visitors faces to be visible at all time.
Police were called after the woman, who has asked not to be identified and is a former pupil at the school, refused to leave or remove the veil and she eventually walked away in tears.
She told the Daily Mail: “'I don't like going to the school any more because I leave crying.
“I can understand that people should be identified but I am just a normal person, trying to lead a normal life.
"Why should how I dress make a difference?"
The school extended their ban on visitors concealing their faces with motorbike helmets and hoddies to include niquabs after a similar incident involving the woman in 2007.
“I got told not to go into the hall because I was wearing a veil,” said the mother.
“I explained I was willing to take the veil off in front of female teachers but not the male teachers.”
At last week’s parent evening she was able to sign in and see two teachers in the library before another member of staff approached her and asked if she aware of the school’s policy on identification.
She added: “My son enjoys going to the school and has settled in. I am in a strange situation where I can't see how he is progressing or even go to drop him off inside.
“If I had been told this was their intended policy, then maybe I would not have considered sending my son to the school.”
Headteacher Colette Gillen said she was willing to set-up a one-to-one meeting in her private office for the mother to discuss her son’s progress but the school would not relax its current policy.
She said: “This means neither position would be compromised.
While this would be acceptable, the difficulty would be if a number of ladies wearing veils were free to wander the corridors or rooms.
“It would not be feasible to monitor who is who. All policies and procedures have to attempt to cater for every eventuality.”
Anjum Anwar, chairman of Woman’s Voice, an advice group for women, in Lancashire, is acting as liason between the mother and the school.
She said: “This is a young woman who perceives that it is her faith requirement to wear a full veil and a school that sees her attire as a security risk.”