Handshake not compulsory, school told

A Christian school in Schoonhoven has been told by the equal opportunities commission it cannot force parents and children to shake hands with teachers but can require all pupils to attend the annual school camp.


The commission told the school parents who did not wish to shake hands for religious reasons should be allowed to use another form of greeting which showed mutual respect, the Nederlands Dagblad reported on Wednesday.
But because there is no connection between the school camp and religion – and children are allowed to take their own meat if they cannot eat pork – then all pupils can be required to attend, the commission said.
Some 25% of pupils at the school have an ethnic minority origin, the paper reported.

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