Headteachers in the United Kingdom will be given the right to ban the Muslim veil or other religioous dress from the classroom under new guidelines unveiled today.
They will be able to impose the ban if they feel the dress it is getting in the way of children learning.
British Education Secretary Alan Johnson has drawn up the updated guidance after a 12-year-old girl lost a legal battle to wear the full-face niqab in class in her Buckinghamshire school last month.
The Department for Education and Skills (DFES) said the government was not imposing a blanket ban on veils at schools and that any decision on uniform policy was a matter for individual headteachers.
The guidelines will also warn schools they must not force parents to buy over-priced uniforms for their children.
The new document states that schools should consult widely with parents, governors and the local community on uniform policy relating to religious dress. Where possible, they should try to tolerate a wide range of religious and cultural items of clothing.
But they may ban certain garments, such as the full-face veil, if it is felt that they impede safety, security or the ability to learn.