Four sixth-graders at a primary school in Bulaq al-Dakrur, Giza Governorate, were allegedly beaten by their religion teacher for not wearing the hijab, said the Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights.
The rights group issued a statement harshly condemning the incident, and called for the state to apply the international convention on childrens’ rights, which stipulates that the government shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that educational facilities respect the dignity of all children.
Gawaher al-Zahery, an activist who works with the center, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the accused teacher reportedly told one of the alleged victims, “You will thus be a Christian among them [her veiled classmates].” The teacher, who also teaches Arabic language, reportedly insulted the four girls and beat them in front of their classmates.
The girls’ families did not file a complaint against the teacher out of fear that she would fail the students, Zahery alleged.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
