The London Daily News

News Desk

A Sikh pupil attending the Barnet Compton School in North Finchley has been banned from taking a holy dagger into school with him following a ruling by the school governors who deemed the dagger a health and safety risk.

The pupil has now according to sources in Barnet "withdrawn" from the school after he was banned from wearing his traditional dagger.  Sources within Barnet have underlined that the Sikh community play an important role in the life in Barnet and this incident is an "exceptional case" and does not reflect the norm inside Barnet.

Barnet Council in a statement to the London Daily News said:

"The student has been a valued member of the school community.  The school’s governing body has spent the past two years trying to reach an agreement with the family about the appropriate type and size of religious artefact that he can safely bring into school.

“During this period of time, along with the local authority, we have examined the possibility of potential compromises. We have taken into account how this issue has been dealt with in other schools, education authorities and elsewhere within the Sikh community and we have taken legal advice.

At the moment we are holding a place open for the student should he feel able to attend wearing a religious artefact of the size and nature which the the governing body has decided is safe to bring into school.”

photo credit: United Sikhs