Sydney mosque body condemns One Nation’s proposed school face-covering ban
One Nation has announced a proposal to ban burqas, niqabs and other full-face coverings in schools across Australia, including Islamic and private institutions, arguing that teachers and students need to see each other's faces for identification and safety purposes. The Lebanese Muslim Association (LMA), which operates Australia's largest mosque in Lakemba, Sydney, has strongly condemned the policy as political targeting rather than a response to genuine educational concerns.
The LMA questioned the practical basis for the ban, asking how many students actually wear full-face coverings and whether teachers have complained they cannot teach without seeing students' faces. The association argues that schools can manage identity verification and safety through existing procedures without a government-mandated ban, noting that only a minority of Muslim Australian students wear full-face coverings. Party leader Pauline Hanson recently visited the Islamic College of Brisbane to discuss the issue, raising concerns about women being pressured to wear coverings, whilst One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce noted that full-face coverings are banned in some countries and are not mandated by Islamic scripture.
- One Nation proposes banning burqas and niqabs in schools.
- The Lebanese Muslim Association condemned it as political targeting.
- The ban would not apply to hijabs; proponents cite education and safety.
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One Nation, an Australian political party, has proposed banning burqas, niqabs and other full-face coverings in schools across Australia. The party argues that these coverings prevent teachers and students from identifying each other, which it says raises safety and classroom management concerns.
Some Muslim women wear full-face coverings as part of their religious practice, and a small minority of Muslim students in Australian schools choose to do so. The proposal has sparked debate about how to balance religious freedom and cultural identity with school safety and security.
The Lebanese Muslim Association, which operates Australia's largest mosque in Sydney, has rejected the proposal, questioning whether there is genuine evidence of problems in schools. The association argues that existing school procedures can manage identification and safety without banning religious clothing.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of the ban contend that clear identification of students and staff is essential for school safety, attendance records, and effective teaching, particularly during emergencies when staff must quickly account for all pupils. They argue that facial expressions and lip-reading are integral to classroom communication and learning outcomes, and that uniform appearance policies—including restrictions on face coverings—are standard school practice that apply to all students fairly. The position that several countries have implemented such restrictions and that Islamic scholars debate whether full-face coverings are religiously required provides, in their view, a reasonable basis for consistent school policy.
The case against
Critics argue this is discriminatory targeting of a religious minority, as full-face coverings affect only a tiny fraction of Australian school students and no evidence suggests teachers cannot teach or identify students through existing mechanisms such as roll calls and identification photos. They point out that schools already manage safety and attendance without banning face coverings, and note that One Nation's framing around women's autonomy appears selective given the absence of similar bans on other religious dress or grooming practices. The policy therefore represents political positioning rather than response to genuine educational need, and risks discouraging Muslim families from school participation whilst appearing to legislate against religious practice.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Sydney mosque launches fierce attack on Pauline Hanson over plan to ban burqas in schools: ‘Our children should be off-limits’”.