Online petition for Sarika Singh to wear the Kara

[gigteam]

Please support the online petition for Sarika Singh to wear the Kara

Sarika Singh has been excluded from school as she wishes to continue to wear her Kara (steel bangle) and the school is arguing this contradicts the uniform policy that prohibits the wearing of any jewellery other than a wrist watch and plain ear studs.

The head teacher and governors at the school are acting without the support of the local education authority, the local MP and the Welsh Assembly. The case will be considered in the High Court in London on 17-19 June 2008 where it will be argued the school has breached race relations and human rights laws and is ignoring the 1983 Mandla v Lee case from the House of Lords that forms the basis on which Sikhs are protected against discrimination.

Please support the online petition for Sarika Singh to wear the Kara

[ryderzz08]

this happend 2 loads of other people

if the kara is a huge fat one then may b buh if it was a normal sized slim one thn das out of order....

mind that -i aint red any of the text just the first line in the above post

[gigteam]

its a normal thin kara

[ryderzz08]

oooo thn das out of order

[gigteam]

14-year-old goes to High Court after being excluded from school for wearing religious bracelet

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 2:55 PM on 13th June 2008


Sarika Singh wearing a kara, religious bangle, on her right wrist, leaving Aberdare Girls' School, in south Wales, with her mother Sanita Singh

The mother of a teenage girl excluded from school for wearing a religious symbol said her education had suffered immensely as a result.

Sinita Singh's 14-year-old daughter, Sarika, has not attended Aberdare Girls' School in south Wales since being told last year she could not wear a bracelet known as a Kara.

Her case will be heard at the High Court in London next week and is due to last three days.

Sarika enrolled at Mountain Ash Comprehensive School earlier this year, which is allowing her to wear the bracelet, and will stay there until the legal process is complete.

The family travelled to 10 Downing Street today to hand in a petition which calls upon Prime Minister Gordon Brown to intervene in the matter "to show discrimination is totally unacceptable".

The petition has gained the backing of 150 Gurdwaras - the main Sikh religious institutions - and over 200 Sikh organisations and 70 non-Sikh organisations.

Speaking from London, Mrs Singh said: "It (exclusion) has affected her in some good ways but also in a hell of a lot of bad ways.

"She has lost a lot of education and if she had been in Aberdare Girls' School she wouldn't have gone downhill and she would have kept her grades.

"She has gone to a new school and although it is a good school she has gone two years behind. There is a lot of stress, worry and panic attacks. It is the build-up of everything."

She added: "We hope the outcome next week will be in our favour so we can just get back to normal.

"She had top grades and was doing really well (before exclusion). This is one of the most important years of her school life with her GCSEs approaching.

"Let's hope we've raised awareness and let's hope it never, ever happens again."

Human rights group Liberty, which is supporting Sarika's High Court battle, claims the school has breached race relations and human rights laws by not allowing Sarika to wear the Kara.

Sarika, the only Sikh at her school, was excluded from Aberdare Girls' School in November, after being taught in isolation for two months.

The school bans girls from wearing jewellery other than wristwatches and plain ear studs.

Amritpal Singh of the Sikh Federation said: "We have very strong backing for this petition.

"We are showing that the Sikh community are looking at this and that nobody should have to suffer discrimination that Sarika has suffered.

"The Sikh community are together on this issue."

[ryderzz08]

bang out of order!!

[:~@nGeL~:]

Ive got a book showing a letter from the home office.
QUOTING: "It is certainly no offence merely to carry or wear an article such as a kara or kirpan, though it could be an offence under the Prevention of Crime Act to useor intend to use such an article as an offensive weapon..."

My p.e teachers tried to tell me that they had "words" with the local gurdwara and they agreed to lt us take them off but i refused. No one should have to take it off.
Theyve messed up her education because of it.

[pilot]

She won the case.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7531124.stm