Turkish principal bars girls from graduation for 'inappropriate attire'

Duvar English

At a high school in the Gebze district of Kocaeli, some woman students on June 12 were barred from entering the graduation ceremony area in the schoolyard for allegedly wearing outfits that did not comply with the dress code.

After the Gebze District Director of Education arrived at the school, all students were permitted to attend the graduation ceremony.

Before the ceremony, the school’s “Graduation Committee” sent a permission form to the parents, according to the online news outlet T24.

Parents were asked to sign a form that included, “Students cannot wear clothes against national and moral values along with torn or holey clothes, transparent clothes, clothes that reveal body contours such as shorts, leggings, skirts above the knee, short pants, sleeveless shirts, and t-shirts. They also cannot use accessories with political symbols, shapes, or writings such as scarves, beanies, hats, bags, and similar items.”

Before the graduation ceremony, some female students were not admitted to the graduation ceremony on the grounds that they were dressed "too revealing.”

While the students and their families reacted against the school administration, a gendarmerie team was also dispatched to the area after a quarrel broke out between the parents and the school administration.

The Kocaeli provincial branch of the Eğitim-İş Union reacted to the incident and noted that, under the pretext of the protocol attending the ceremony, the school administration had demanded to see the woman students' outfits days in advance and informed that only those whose outfits were approved would be included in the program.

After Gebze District Director of Education, Şener Doğan, came to the school, all students were allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony.

Kocaeli Governor's Office also announced that an investigation was initiated and two inspectors were assigned.