By Muhsin Ibrahim, PhD
The Lead British school management now has the situation under control. Therefore, the bully will be punished, and, generally, bullying will not continue, at least not in the egregious form most of us see in the trending videos. However, one thing will remain the same: the “Western-style” dress code.
It may shock you to know that some private schools in other cities, such as Kano, have similar miniskirts as uniforms for girls, including Muslim girls. It’s astonishing to see the girls in hijabs before and after school hours. I once wrote about a student I saw struggling to put on a long skirt soon after their school hours in Kano.
Honestly, as a Muslim parent, you are to blame. After all, these are private schools. What we consider decent dress does not hinder the wearer’s ability to learn. It’s a myth to think that a hijab or long skirt can impede learning.
If our governments (for example, in Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, etc.) cannot enforce a dress code on those private schools—for whatever reason—parents can and should.
It’s a shame that we still hold on to British and American traditions in many ways when they, too, have already changed with the times—based on the current realities.
Over there, police officers and soldiers can have beards, Sikhs can wear turbans, and women can wear hijabs. Even judges and lawyers don’t have to wear wigs anymore.
Nigeria and other former colonies, what are we waiting for?
Muhsin Ibrahim lives and teaches at the University of Cologne, Germany. He can be reached via muhsin2008@gmail.com.