Schools across Azerbaijan have started checking to see if students are following the country's official dress code. This move has brought the debate over wearing hijabs in classrooms back into the spotlight.

Here is what is happening:

**The Rule Change**
Education officials have begun monitoring schools to make sure everyone is wearing the standard school uniform. The government says this is part of keeping education secular, which means keeping religion separate from government-run institutions.

**Different Sides of the Debate**
There are two main views on this issue:

* **The Government View:** Members of Parliament and officials say that school uniforms help create equality. They argue that all students should look the same while they are at school to focus on learning rather than personal style or religious symbols.
* **The Critics:** Groups like CAIR (the Council on American-Islamic Relations) are speaking out against the move. They believe that banning hijabs is unfair and harms the rights of Muslim students. Some critics have even called the ban discriminatory.

**Why it Matters**
Azerbaijan is a country with a large Muslim population, but it is also a very secular state. This means the country’s laws are designed to be neutral when it comes to religion.

For some, the uniform rules feel like a way to keep schools neutral. For others, it feels like an attack on their personal choice to wear a hijab.

**What Happens Next?**
The debate is still growing. The Media and Broadcasting Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan has released statements on the matter, but it is clear that parents, religious groups, and government leaders still have very different ideas about what should be allowed in the classroom.

Source: Al Jazeera