Pupils at a selective school were left in tears after being singled out on school photo day because of their skin color and religion, furious parents claim.
Two students at Melbourne Girls’ School were allegedly told they were ‘too tan’ to have their photo taken on February 22.
A girl wearing a hijab was reportedly told to take off her long sleeves, while another student was told to tuck her cross necklace into her shirt, parents claimed.
A spokesperson for Victoria’s Department of Education said the school “categorically denies claims that students were racially vilified or excluded from having their photograph taken because of their skin color or appearance.”
“To suggest that this was the case is completely untrue,” the spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.
Furious parents of students at Melbourne Girls’ School (pictured) claim some students were singled out during school photo day in February because of their religion and skin color.
Two students were told they were ‘too tan’ to have their picture taken, while another girl, wearing a hijab, was told to take off her top and show her arms (stock image)
A number of parents shared their anger about the alleged treatment in a WhatsApp group, the Herald Sun reports.
Messages from parents, as per the release, say the school’s actions were “unfriendly…militaristic” and akin to “bullying.”
One parent claimed that ‘girls who did not wear make-up were excluded from sibling photos because they had dark skin, dark eyebrows, big lips or long natural eyelashes’.
Another claimed a girl wearing a hijab was told to ‘take off their top’ and show her arms.
“When they protested it was a cultural requirement to cover their arms (they) were told to wear a sweater on a 30 degree Celsius day,” the parent wrote.
Some students were reportedly ‘left in tears’ after being singled out for their make-up and piercings.
Students and families were reminded of the uniform policy before photo day and warned students who did not adhere to the policy would not be photographed.
It led to some students being asked to remove heavy makeup that day.