Exclusion of 14-year old Sikh girl from Aberdare Girl’s School in South Wales

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.

The following Gurdwaras, Sikh organisations, non-Sikh organisations, MPs and other elected representatives call upon you to intervene in the case of Sarika Singh to show discrimination is totally unacceptable and ‘Every Child Matters’ throughout the UK.