A primary school teacher in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Luxor has been referred for disciplinary action after she cut the hair of two female pupils last Wednesday as a punishment for not wearing hijabs, MENA reported on Tuesday, without giving further details. Zakaria Abdel Fatah, head of the state's Education Directorate in Luxor, referred the teacher to the administrative prosecution, which deals with disciplinary procedures for state employees, after the students' fathers complained about the incident, the state-run news agency reported. The website of state-run Al-Ahram newspaper said on Tuesday that the teacher had previously warned female sixth graders not to come to school without wearing hijabs, allegedly threatening to cut the hair of anyone who didn't comply. Instances of teachers physically punishing students is common in public schools here. Children's rights groups have long been pressing for an end to corporal punishment in schools. The Egyptian Pediatric Association on Tuesday denounced statements by the education minister seemingly condoning such punishment. Minister Ibrahim Ghoneim said during a press conference in Gharbiya Governorate Sunday that corporal punishment is acceptable provided it is not severe, stressing that he would not allow teachers to be humiliated while he is in office, Al-Masry Al-Youm reported. The association said in a statement that hitting students hinders their comprehension abilities and undermines creativity, in addition to causing psychological disorders. The association called for confronting the phenomenon which violates children's rights and urged the minister to clarify his remarks, according to Al-Masry Al-Youm.
