Pictured: Sayeedah Mahetar, 44, was visiting the school with her teenage daughter who was hoping to study there next year
A Muslim mother-of-five was ordered to leave a sixth-form college open evening because she was wearing a niqab face veil.
St Mary’s College in Blackburn, Lancashire, said the garment stopped her from being recognised on CCTV.
Sayeedah Mahetar, 44, was visiting the school with her teenage daughter who was hoping to study there next year.
The pair were welcomed into the entrance of the college but once inside Ms Mahetar was approached by a teacher who asked her to remove her veil or leave the college.
A spokesman for the school said it was part of their safeguarding policy not to allow anyone to wear garments which obstructed their face inside their grounds.
Ms Mahetar said: ‘The staff member rushed over to me and whispered to me, ‘Are you aware of our dress code policy?’ ‘I said no and then she said that anyone wearing a veil compromises the safety of students and teachers and that either I remove the veil or I leave.’
She told her daughter to continue the Open Day alone and that she would meet her outside the college premises.
Ms Mahetar said: ‘It’s a shame as my daughter was speaking very highly of their courses.I don’t see the logic in their actions.
‘They said they needed to identify everyone coming into the building.
‘If they needed to identify me, the woman could have asked me to lift my veil to see me and that would have concluded the matter.
‘Even at the airport which is a place of heightened security, women are allowed to wear veils and are asked separately to show their faces when going through security checks.
‘No-one else was asked to verify their identity, no-one’s bags were checked, no proof of identity was shown when entering the building.
‘Anyone could have walked in.’
A spokesman for the school said it was part of their safeguarding policy not to allow anyone to wear garments which obstructed their face inside their grounds. Pictured above, St Mary’s College
As she was leaving the building Sayeedah approached the teacher who initially greeted her and her daughter at reception and asked him why she had been permitted entrance initially and then confronted by another teacher.
‘He said that an Ofsted ruling says that each school is responsible to ensure the safety of the students and teachers.’
St Mary’s College dress code policy is on their website.
Ms Mahetar added: ‘In their equal opportunity policy statement they say, ‘We will take any and all necessary actions to prevent discrimination or harassment. We are proud of our diversity and will seek to celebrate wherever we can the differences which are such a vital part of who we are.’ ‘They say that, yet they discriminated against me within five minutes of arriving at the college.’
I wear the niqab as a personal choice. At work I do remove it if I feel it is necessary. However, in my own personal time I should not be asked to remove it
Ms Mahetar said she has not received any acknowledgement or apology from St Mary’s College. ‘I have five children and I have never encountered this type of discrimination or humiliation to date.
‘I wear the niqab as a personal choice. At work I do remove it if I feel it is necessary. However, in my own personal time I should not be asked to remove it.
‘What is even more ironic is that the school is in an area where so many Asians and Muslims live.
‘Knowing their demographics, if they felt so strongly about the veil, they should have alerted potential visitors on their Open Evening leaflet that they have a strict dress code policy that needs to be adhered to so people could be prepared.’
A statement from St Mary’s College read: ‘In line with the College Dress Code Policy, that is displayed on our website and referenced in the invitational postcards and other marketing media for our open evenings, it is important that garments which obscure the face such as hats, cycle helmets, hoods, veils or any other items, are not worn on the College premises.
‘This enables everyone to be recognised, either in person or by reviewing CCTV pictures, which is vital to the safeguarding of our students and visitors.’