Dakar, 17 September, 2019 / 6:17 pm (ACI Africa).
Months after banning the wearing of head scarves at St. Joan of Arc school, a Catholic-sponsored school in Senegal’s capital, Dakar, the administration of the institution has given in to pressure and lifted the ban, allowing the expelled students to return to the school.
Local media reported that the school, run by Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny, had expelled 22 Muslim students on September 3 for covering their heads with the Islamic scarves in a bid to execute a decision that was made public in May.
The expulsion of the students led to a nation-wide outcry from the predominantly Muslim-country with affected parents threatening to sue the school, local media reported.
The outrage necessitated a week-long mediation talks, which according to reports, the Senegal Minister of Internal Education, Mamadou Tall spearheaded. A compromise was reached at the September 11-12 overnight meeting, allowing the expelled students to be readmitted, The Limited Times reported.
With the ban lifted, the affected students are expected to resume studies at the religious sisters’ school on September 19.
