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Effects of banning the Islamic veil in public schools
French policy improved Muslim girls' educational outcomes
Immigration from Muslim countries is a source of tensions in many Western countries. Several countries have adopted regulations restricting religious expression and emphasizing the neutrality of the public sphere. A recent IZA discussion paper by Eric Maurin and Nicolas Navarrete explores the effect of one of the most emblematic of these regulations: the prohibition of Islamic veils in French schools.
In September 1994, a circular from the French Ministry of Education asked teachers and principals to ban Islamic veils in public schools. In March 2004, the parliament took one step further and enshrined prohibition in law.
The paper provides evidence that these new regulations contributed to improving the educational outcomes of female students with a Muslim background and to reducing educational inequalities between Muslim and non-Muslim students.
High school graduation rates improve for Muslim girls
In particular, comparing women with and without a Muslim background shows a marked increase in the proportion of high school graduates in the Muslim group for cohorts born in 1981 and after, namely for cohorts who reached puberty (and the age of wearing the veil) just after the 1994 circular.
A comparison of men with different religious backgrounds shows no similar increase in the proportion of high school graduates in the Muslim group for cohorts born in 1981 and after, consistent with the assumption that the increase observed for women is driven by a policy targeting female students.
