Turkey’s Islamic-rooted Government has banned pupils from wearing tattoos or body piercings in schools, a measure denounced by opponents as oppressive and unenforceable, reports said on Sunday.
While tattoos are frowned upon by conservative elements in Turkey’s diverse society, they are highly fashionable among secular urban youth, including school- age teens.
The measure is the latest hugely controversial measure taken by the Government in education, after it allowed girls in high schools to wear the Muslim headscarf, a move critics said eroded Turkey’s secular principles.
The ban, which was published in Turkey’s official gazette on Saturday and reported by local media on Sunday, also forbids the dyeing of hair, make-up, as well as moustaches and beards for boys.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) co-founded by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking to restore traditional values in Turkey, a drive seen by opponents as a bid to Islamise the country.
The head of the Egitim Is education union Veli Demir denounced the measure as impossible to enforce, given that tattoos could not be removed like a piece of clothing.
“Are they going to strip off their skinIJ” he asked, quoted by the Radikal online newspaper. “What is going to happen to those (pupils) who already have tattoosIJ This is not a decision that a reasonable person can take. It is a decision taken without careful thought,” he added.