Wednesday, July 14, 2010

School spent at least £170,000 on failed bid to ban Sikh bangle

A SCHOOL that fought a legal battle to force a Sikh pupil to remove a religious bracelet spent at least £170,000 on the lost case, it emerged last night.

Sarika Watkins-Singh, then 14, was suspended from Aberdare Girls’ School in 2007 after insisting she should be allowed to wear a silver Kara bangle, one of the five symbols of Sikh identity.

The school argued she could not wear the bracelet because it contravened a ban on jewellery, but the High Court ruled in the pupil’s favour.

Yesterday Cynon Valley MP Ann Clwyd detailed her two-year battle to force the school to reveal the true costs, and the reason behind the decision to fight the case in the courts.

Speaking in Westminster Hall, she said she feared the total costs were much higher than the £170,000 revealed so far, and accused the school of using technicalities to avoid releasing more information.

“My patience has now run out. The school has run rings around the law to avoid explaining how much money has been wasted on this stupid ill-considered action in defending the indefensible.”

with thanks : source : WalesOnline : link in headline above for detailed story.

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