"The school's principal left me standing behind the school's closed doors. My kids were traumatized in their first days of school", says Vusala Yusifova whose two children are pupils at the school/lyceum number 49 in Baku.
Yusifova says the conflict with the school began three days ago, as the schools in Azerbaijan opened for the new academic year.
"I informed the school before it opened that my daughter Aydan will be coming to school in a headscarf. The school principle protested then too, saying he won't let my daughter enter the school premises like that. I didn't take my daughter to school on the day of the opening, September 15, thinking I should first sort out the issue. On September 16, I took both daughters (grade 2 and 4) to school. The school principal said first take off your headscarf then come to school. I asked him to provide an official letter stating my daughter won't be allowed to attend school unless she takes off her headscarf. It has been 4 days since the school began but we are still stranded outside the building not allowed to enter the premises. The principle keeps repeating that my covered daughter won't study in his school.
The school's principal, Tahmina Asadova says in the official dress code for the school there is no hijab.
In the meantime, the Ministry of Education promised to look into the matter.
In another similar instance, four years ago, Sumgayit city resident Azer Azizov was able to get the local school lift the limitation and let his covered daughter attend the school.