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Oz school apologises to Sikh
student
WSN Network
Sydney: A
private school in Brisbane, which outraged Australia's 50,000-strong
Sikh community and incensed its members all over the world, has
apologised to a student it refused to enrol unless he cut his hair
and removed his turban.
It will also
review its uniform rules as part of an out-of-court settlement.
The apology has
come after the 12-year-old's parents took the exclusive
Ormiston
College
to Queensland's Anti-Discrimination Tribunal, which had earlier this
year demanded that the boy conform to the school's uniform code and
agree to cut his hair and remove his turban.
The parents of
the student, who risked excommunication from the religion if they
obeyed the school's orders, refused, moved to another suburb and
enrolled their son in another private school.
The boy's
identity has not been revealed because of a suppression order.
Last March, the
headmaster of
Ormiston College
said the school would fight the case and the school's board endorsed
the stance against the boy.
The
Anti-Discrimination Tribunal case was the first of its kind
involving a Sikh student in
Australia. A
British court had ruled in favour of a Sikh student in a similar
case more than 25 years ago.
An out-of-court
settlement was reached after the school agreed to issue a public
apology and pay the family undisclosed compensation.
The family's
lawyer said the family was happy with the outcome of the complaint.
1 October 2008
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