Axe for teacher who kept her veil on in the classroom

A Muslim teacher who insisted on wearing a veil in class has been suspended after the children complained they could not understand what she was saying.

Aishah Azmi, 24, was told she could wear the veil in the corridors and the staff room, but had to remove it while teaching. She refused, saying it was part of her cultural and religious identity.

But children at the junior school in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, said they found English lessons hard to follow because they could not see Miss Azmi's lips move.

The Muslim Council of Britain criticised the teacher for insisting she had to keep her face covered. Dr Reefat Drabu said under Islamic law Muslim women were not required to wear a headscarf, let alone a veil, in the presence of young children.

Miss Azmi is now taking her employer, Kirklees council, to an employment tribunal. It will rule on her case later this month.

A council source said: "it is ridiculous. How can you teach English to young children with a veil over your face?

"The children themselves were complaining. It is about what's best for the children."

Many of the 529 boys and girls aged seven to 11 at Headfield Church of England Junior School are from ethnic minorities and English is not their first language, reinforcing the need for clear English teaching.

Council education spokesman Jim Dodds said: "This is nothing to do with religion. We accepted the veil could be worn anywhere else in school, but not in the classroom."