Two of the four hijab wearing students from İhsan Sabancı Girls’ leave the school distraught
A top student at Adana Ihsan Sabancı Girls’ High School, Adana, Turkey, was banned from collecting her graduation award during a ceremony because she wears the hijab.
Three other hijab wearing girls were also ordered by the head teacher to sit at the back of the hall while the graduation ceremony took place on June 6.
Head Teacher Ayla Avşar refused to allow the four girls, including the most successful student of the school, Tugba Demir, to take part in the graduation ceremony.
According to reports Avşar had asked the students to remove their hijabs, and when the students refused to take them off, she told them to sit at the back of the hall. Avsar barred the students from collecting their results during the ceremony.
The family of one of the students notified the police about the situation at the graduation ceremony, but when the police and Seyhan District Education Director, Recep Ince, arrived they were unable to get Avsar to change her mind about the students. The students were given their certificates of achievement after the ceremony.
The discriminatory treatment was met with huge disappointment by the headscarved students. “I have been away from my family in Gaziantep for four years,” said Demir in tears. “My biggest present for them was being the top student. I was expecting the school administration to give me my award. This was the only thing I wanted. I studied day and night to achieve this.”
Adana Provincial Education Director, Mehmet Ali Selamet, said they will investigate the incident and take the necessary action to punish anyone who humiliated the students.