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Now on BBC One, it's time
for the news where you are. | 0:00:00 | 0:00:01 | |
Welcome to BBC London News
with me, Victoria Hollins. | 0:00:11 | 0:00:14 | |
A headteacher has backed down
from a ban on hijabs in her east | 0:00:14 | 0:00:17 | |
London primary school. | 0:00:18 | 0:00:19 | |
St Stephen's in Upton Park recently
introduced restrictions on girls | 0:00:19 | 0:00:25 | |
wearing the headscarf. | 0:00:25 | 0:00:27 | |
The school said the move was to help
Muslim children integrate | 0:00:27 | 0:00:29 | |
into British society. | 0:00:29 | 0:00:31 | |
But now that decision
has been reversed. | 0:00:31 | 0:00:32 | |
Here's
our Education Reporter, | 0:00:32 | 0:00:33 | |
Marc Ashdown. | 0:00:33 | 0:00:35 | |
The hijab is an important part
of the Muslim faith, | 0:00:35 | 0:00:38 | |
worn by some women as a symbol
of privacy and modesty. | 0:00:38 | 0:00:43 | |
But is it appropriate for young
children to wear to school? | 0:00:43 | 0:00:47 | |
The Government leaves it up
to individual schools | 0:00:47 | 0:00:49 | |
to set their own uniform policy
and last week, this primary in east | 0:00:49 | 0:00:52 | |
London banned children under the age
of eight from wearing the hijab, | 0:00:52 | 0:00:55 | |
which has split opinion
amongst parents. | 0:00:55 | 0:00:59 | |
If you see this school has exceeded
in their curriculums and everything | 0:00:59 | 0:01:02 | |
and there was no ban at that time, | 0:01:02 | 0:01:04 | |
the hijab wasn't
banned at that time. | 0:01:04 | 0:01:06 | |
So that means the hijab
is not a problem. | 0:01:06 | 0:01:08 | |
Why is it a problem? | 0:01:08 | 0:01:09 | |
It's all about the parents.
It should be allowed. | 0:01:09 | 0:01:11 | |
It shouldn't be banned. | 0:01:11 | 0:01:13 | |
Depends on the wish. | 0:01:13 | 0:01:15 | |
If they want to wear
hijab, that's OK. | 0:01:15 | 0:01:17 | |
If they don't, it's OK. | 0:01:17 | 0:01:18 | |
We don't force them. | 0:01:18 | 0:01:21 | |
You don't force them at this age.
Eight years is not the age. | 0:01:21 | 0:01:29 | |
The chair of governors
also banned children | 0:01:29 | 0:01:31 | |
from fasting during Ramadan. | 0:01:31 | 0:01:32 | |
He took to Facebook
to explain his reasons. | 0:01:32 | 0:01:33 | |
But the community here
seems to disagree. | 0:01:46 | 0:01:50 | |
A campaign sprang up
to overturn the ban. | 0:01:50 | 0:01:55 | |
There's a petition which currently
has 20,000 signatures. | 0:01:55 | 0:01:57 | |
There's been a further
twist in this saga. | 0:01:57 | 0:01:59 | |
It's the end of the school day. | 0:01:59 | 0:02:01 | |
Parents are just arriving
to pick up their children, | 0:02:01 | 0:02:03 | |
and the chair of governors has just
tendered his resignation. | 0:02:03 | 0:02:05 | |
He sent us the e-mail as well. | 0:02:05 | 0:02:07 | |
In it, he says "I wish them
continued success and I'm sorry | 0:02:07 | 0:02:10 | |
if my actions have caused any harm
to the reputation of | 0:02:10 | 0:02:12 | |
this fantastic school". | 0:02:12 | 0:02:16 | |
The school told us the uniform
policy is based on the health, | 0:02:16 | 0:02:18 | |
safety and welfare of the children. | 0:02:19 | 0:02:20 | |
They say they will continue
to review the policy, | 0:02:20 | 0:02:22 | |
working with parents. | 0:02:22 | 0:02:24 | |
Nobody is forced to wear the hijab. | 0:02:24 | 0:02:27 | |
Parents have the choice. | 0:02:27 | 0:02:29 | |
Those parents who wish
their children to wear the hijab, | 0:02:29 | 0:02:32 | |
in the school, many children
of Muslim faith do not | 0:02:32 | 0:02:34 | |
wear the hijab. | 0:02:34 | 0:02:35 | |
So our main concern here
was that we don't want to lose | 0:02:35 | 0:02:38 | |
the right of choice for my children. | 0:02:38 | 0:02:42 | |
We don't want them to
lose their identity. | 0:02:42 | 0:02:45 | |
But some warn that there is a danger
that there are those who view | 0:02:45 | 0:02:48 | |
it very differently. | 0:02:48 | 0:02:49 | |
We believe that it is an imposition
made by fundamentalists | 0:02:49 | 0:02:52 | |
and religious ultraconservatives
who want to control | 0:02:52 | 0:02:56 | |
young women and girls. | 0:02:56 | 0:02:58 | |
Their rationale is
a very dangerous one. | 0:02:58 | 0:03:03 | |
Ofsted is currently consulting
widely on the issue of religious | 0:03:03 | 0:03:10 | |
garments in schools and will then
publish guidance, | 0:03:10 | 0:03:12 | |
which feels long overdue. | 0:03:12 | 0:03:14 | |
With more on this story,
Ayshea Buksh joins me now. | 0:03:14 | 0:03:17 | |
So, a sensitive topic and not just
at this east London school? | 0:03:17 | 0:03:24 | |
That's right. The school in Upton
Park is rated outstanding by Ofsted. | 0:03:24 | 0:03:31 | |
It is oversubscribed and the
proposal was for girls under eight | 0:03:31 | 0:03:34 | |
to not have to fast or where the
hijab while at school because they | 0:03:34 | 0:03:37 | |
were regarded as too young. You has
one of the highest Muslim | 0:03:37 | 0:03:41 | |
populations in Britain, -- new home.
So it's not surprising that this was | 0:03:41 | 0:03:46 | |
not popular to everyone. The
headteacher told a Sunday paper that | 0:03:46 | 0:03:51 | |
she recognised that Muslim culture
was important, but wanted to promote | 0:03:51 | 0:03:56 | |
as Mark said, British values and
make it easier for children to | 0:03:56 | 0:03:59 | |
integrate and achieve. Ofsted are
also working on their guidance over | 0:03:59 | 0:04:03 | |
the hijab. Last year, they suggested
that their inspectors should be able | 0:04:03 | 0:04:06 | |
to question girls on why they are
wearing it at primary school. This | 0:04:06 | 0:04:10 | |
was condemned because it was
regarded that this would single out | 0:04:10 | 0:04:14 | |
Muslim girls and they should wear
whatever they want in order to be | 0:04:14 | 0:04:17 | |
successful. | 0:04:17 | 0:04:18 | |
If you're disabled, use a pushchair
or have any mobility problems, | 0:04:20 | 0:04:24 | |
negotiating stairs or escalators
at tube stations can | 0:04:24 | 0:04:27 | |
pose huge problems. | 0:04:27 | 0:04:32 | |
Today transport bosses announced
a multi million pound plan | 0:04:32 | 0:04:34 | |
to address that issue. | 0:04:34 | 0:04:35 | |
It's all part of the drive
to improve accessibility | 0:04:35 | 0:04:37 | |
on the Underground network. | 0:04:38 | 0:04:39 | |
Here's our transport
correspondent Tom Edwards. | 0:04:39 | 0:04:40 | |
For most travellers,
stairs are just part | 0:04:40 | 0:04:43 | |
of the daily commute. | 0:04:43 | 0:04:46 | |
For others like Valerie, steps
are a big barrier to using the tube. | 0:04:46 | 0:04:50 | |
Too many stairs. | 0:04:50 | 0:04:51 | |
Often, you've got two
or three flights. | 0:04:51 | 0:04:53 | |
Like Oxford Circus,
you've got at least two | 0:04:53 | 0:04:59 | |
flights of stairs to go up. | 0:04:59 | 0:05:00 | |
And lots of people. | 0:05:00 | 0:05:01 | |
If you got bags or luggage,
it's very difficult. | 0:05:01 | 0:05:04 | |
Today it was announced
that a further 13 tube | 0:05:04 | 0:05:06 | |
stations will go step-free,
among them Northolt in north-west | 0:05:06 | 0:05:08 | |
London, where they'll get a lift. | 0:05:08 | 0:05:11 | |
In total, it will cost £200 million. | 0:05:11 | 0:05:17 | |
Here at Northolt, it will be
a lift solution to improve | 0:05:17 | 0:05:20 | |
the accessibility from the street
down to the platform. | 0:05:20 | 0:05:22 | |
Other stations will be
assessed depending | 0:05:22 | 0:05:24 | |
on the environment of the station. | 0:05:24 | 0:05:28 | |
Sometimes it's a ramp solution,
which is obviously a simpler install | 0:05:28 | 0:05:31 | |
and a more efficient way to provide
the same accessibility. | 0:05:31 | 0:05:34 | |
At the moment, 72 out of 270 tube
stations are step-free, 28%. | 0:05:34 | 0:05:40 | |
By 2022, the mayor wants 102,
or 40% of stations, | 0:05:40 | 0:05:45 | |
including Crossrail,
to be step-free. | 0:05:45 | 0:05:49 | |
But campaigners want more. | 0:05:49 | 0:05:51 | |
A lot of older people think
of the tube as something | 0:05:51 | 0:05:54 | |
that's not for them. | 0:05:54 | 0:06:01 | |
Stairs are a big part
of the reason for that. | 0:06:01 | 0:06:04 | |
They're not the only
reason, but they're a big | 0:06:04 | 0:06:06 | |
part of the reason. | 0:06:06 | 0:06:07 | |
Ambitious plans to make
the tube more accessible | 0:06:07 | 0:06:09 | |
have faltered before. | 0:06:09 | 0:06:14 | |
Campaigners are hoping that this
time, there will be more progress | 0:06:14 | 0:06:16 | |
to make the tube more
accessible for everyone. | 0:06:16 | 0:06:22 | |
That's it for now from me, but let's
find out what the weather's up | 0:06:22 | 0:06:25 | |
to with Chris Fawkes. | 0:06:25 | 0:06:26 | |
Our weekend weather can be summed up
quite nicely in the satellite | 0:06:32 | 0:06:35 | |
picture. Clear skies at the moment,
but looking over my shoulder, love | 0:06:35 | 0:06:40 | |
pressure that will bring rain on
Saturday. And we have low pressure | 0:06:40 | 0:06:43 | |
off the eastern Canada which will
bring heavy rain our way for the | 0:06:43 | 0:06:46 | |
second half of the weekend. Not the
most inspiring weekend. The clear | 0:06:46 | 0:06:50 | |
skies at the moment are allowing
temperatures to fall close to | 0:06:50 | 0:06:54 | |
freezing, but it's also breezy. If
you get a frost, temperatures will | 0:06:54 | 0:06:57 | |
not get far below and rain will be
arriving towards the end of the | 0:06:57 | 0:07:08 | |
night. On Saturday, thickening cloud
spreads in, bringing outbreaks of | 0:07:08 | 0:07:10 | |
rain. There could be some snow mixed
in with this and sleet over the tops | 0:07:10 | 0:07:14 | |
of the Chilterns. Otherwise, it is a
cold rain that will be falling for | 0:07:14 | 0:07:16 | |
most of us. Temperatures will be
struggling. For the second half of | 0:07:16 | 0:07:23 | |
the weekend, another area of low
pressure will move in, bringing | 0:07:23 | 0:07:28 | |
heavy outbreaks of rain and an
intern smiled the next week. | 0:07:28 | 0:07:33 |