Headteacher in Tana Toraja Apologises After Schoolgirls Barred from Wearing Hijab

Seven pupils at SMP Negeri 2 Bonggakaradeng in Tana Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi, are suspected to have experienced discriminatory or racist treatment after being asked by the school principal not to wear the hijab on school premises.

The issue sparked protests from the parents of the seven pupils, who came to the school to demand an explanation.

The principal of SMP Negeri 2 Bonggakaradeng, Naomi, denied banning pupils from wearing the hijab, claiming her remarks were merely a joke.

“I did not forbid it, I was only joking,” Naomi said when contacted on Wednesday (29 July).

Naomi claimed she had apologised to the pupils’ parents. She also said she had reported the matter to the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and the Tana Toraja Regency Government.

“I have apologised and will not repeat it. I have also met the parents at the school,” she said.

Separately, Deputy Regent of Tana Toraja, Erianto Laso Paundanan, condemned the alleged ban on the hijab and summoned the principal to seek clarification.

“I have summoned the principal for clarification. A school principal should understand the rules and not take decisions that could potentially spark controversy,” Erianto told reporters.

Erianto also asked the principal to immediately report the matter to the Regent of Tana Toraja. In the clarification she provided, the principal insisted she had never forbidden Muslim pupils from wearing the hijab at the school, which records show has a majority of non-Muslim pupils.

Nevertheless, Erianto judged that the principal’s remarks were inappropriate and could potentially cause misunderstanding.

“Indeed, what she said was wrong. She said that wearing the hijab is usually done at Muslim schools,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, the pupils’ parents said the ban on wearing the hijab had been in place for several months. It culminated on Monday (27 July), when the principal reprimanded seven pupils who continued to wear the hijab at school.

During a meeting with parents, the principal reportedly stated that SMP Negeri 2 Bonggakaradeng was a state school, not a madrasah.

“She said this is a state school, not a madrasah,” said one of the parents, MS.

Parents also said the pupils had been threatened with exclusion from extracurricular activity selection and were told to transfer schools if they continued to wear the hijab.