M&S criticised for selling hijabs for nine-year-olds

M&S has started selling hijabs for schoolgirls as young as nine after hundreds of schools requested that it supply uniforms for Muslims.

The garments, bought by parents who want their daughters to cover their hair and neck while at school, were made available for the first time at M&S due to popular demand.

The clothes giant works with 250 schools as their uniform supplier, and as part of the service a number of schools requested hijabs alongside shirts, skirts and trousers.

The move was met with outrage from campaigners, some of whom accused it of oppressing children.

The hijabs, pictured right, are on sale for £6 in M&S’S “school essentials” section and are designed to fit girls from aged nine upwards.

A hijab – meaning “partition” – is worn by Muslim women in front of any man they are not related or married to. The hijab does not need to be worn in front of other Muslim women, but there is some debate about whether it should be worn in front of non-muslim women.

Its inclusion by M&S comes shortly after the retailer launched a “modest” range aimed at Muslim women, featuring a “burkini” swimsuit that was so popular that it sold out.

Last night experts warned that by allowing their daughters to wear the hijab at school, parents could be harming their ability to integrate fully with other children.

Prof Alan Smithers, the University of Buckingham’s head of the centre for education and employment research, said: “M&S are obviously responding to the market, but I am surprised that hijabs are to be part of the school uniform, because in schools, I think we have the best hope of developing an integrated society with a common set of values.

“The hijab does tend to set children apart. The decision to wear distinctive clothing as expected by your religion should be taken into adulthood, rather than being imposed upon children by their cultural background while at school. “Schools should be the melting pot of society and should help integration by delivering a common set of values.”

An M&S spokesman said: “We provide bespoke uniforms for 250 schools across the country, and they tell us which items they need as part of their school uniform list. For a number of schools this year, they requested the option of the hijab.”

Maajid Nawaz, the LBC Radio presenter and founder of the Quilliam Foundation think tank, said: “Little girls are told it is ‘immodest’ to show their hair. And blessed be the fruit.

“Hijab is still imposed (only on women) by law in Iran and Saudi Arabia, and many other countries. “This is gender apartheid. “Marks & Spencer are free to sell confederate flag T-shirts, too – but I bet they never will.”