Sargadeep is a father fighting for his son.
The traditional Sikh man is battling a Christian school that he claims refused to enrol his five-year-old boy if he wore the child's version of a turban, called a patka, or grew his hair long.
More Victoria News Videos
- Video duration
- 01:27
Father fights for his son to wear turban
Father fights for his son to wear turban
A battle is brewing in VCAT as Sargadeep Singh Arora fights for his five-year-old son to be able to wear a child's version of a turban at Melton Catholic College.
Up Next
How do you turn a '****hole' into paradise?
- Video duration
- 01:03
- Video duration
- 01:03
How do you turn a '****hole' into ...
How do you turn a '****hole' into paradise?
Kororoit Creek in Altona North was once described as an industrial wasteland, now the area is home to 145 species of birds.
Up Next
Beechworth inmates on the run
- Video duration
- 00:43
- Video duration
- 00:43
Beechworth inmates on the run
Beechworth inmates on the run
Three prisoners deemed low risk have escaped the minimum security Beechworth Correctional Centre in Victoria's north-east.
Up Next
George Pell's hour of silence
- Video duration
- 01:49
- Video duration
- 01:49
George Pell's hour of silence
George Pell's hour of silence
Only the large ring of gold on the big right hand gave away that this man in the clerical collar was more than a mere priest.
Up Next
Six-lane bridge to ease Chandler Highway congestion
- Video duration
- 00:59
- Video duration
- 00:59
Six-lane bridge to ease Chandler Highway ...
Six-lane bridge to ease Chandler Highway congestion
An estimated 44, 000 vehicles per day including 2000 trucks will be using a new bridge over Yarra River. Vision courtesy Vic Roads
Up Next
Woman found stabbed to death in Richmond
- Video duration
- 00:21
- Video duration
- 00:21
Woman found stabbed to death in Richmond
Woman found stabbed to death in Richmond
A 75-year-old man has been arrested by homicide detectives over the murder of a woman found in a home on West Bank Terrace.
Up Next
Woman found dead in Richmond house
- Video duration
- 01:03
- Video duration
- 01:03
Woman found dead in Richmond house
Woman found dead in Richmond house
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a woman on July 25. Vision courtesy: Ten News.
Up Next
Couple injured in house fire
- Video duration
- 01:38
- Video duration
- 01:38
Couple injured in house fire
Couple injured in house fire
A blaze destroyed a Cranbourne home and a nearby school was sent into lock down. Vision courtesy: Ten News.
Father fights for his son to wear turban
A battle is brewing in VCAT as Sargadeep Singh Arora fights for his five-year-old son to be able to wear a child's version of a turban at Melton Catholic College.
The school, Melton Christian College in Melbourne's west, insists it has the right to set the uniform its students wear.
The arbitrator of the case will be the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, but it will be closely watched as a test case by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission.
Sagardeep Singh Arora says the school is breaching the Equal Opportunity Act and is discriminating against his son, by not allowing him to wear the patka – an essential part of his religious practice.
He wants his son, Sidhak, to attend the Christian school because of its good reputation.
Sidhak's cousins already attend the school, although they do not wear turbans.
"The police and the army allow Sikhs to wear the turban ... why not in the classroom?" Mr Arora said.
"If you're enrolling a student from a different community, you should allow them to practice their religious beliefs ... they should not be forced to abandon their faith."
But the school's principal David Gleeson told the tribunal he was proud of the "neutrality" of the uniform, and said the case was similar to a situation where a Year 11 student was not allowed to wear a hat from sportswear brand New Balance.
"He's identifying himself as something other than the identity of the college and that creates a difference, that takes away the level playing field for himself and other students in the school," Mr Gleeson said.
He said racial and religious differences between students "have no relevance to the classroom, in the playground, at school events, and that's because differences are invisible".
"I see our students in the playground and I see them totally oblivious to one another's racial or religious background," he said.
"They play foursquare together, and if I picture that I have to call to mind that some of them are African and some of them are Indian and some of them are white Aussies ... as a school we tend to be oblivious to that and I think that is a strength ... that comes from ... [the] neutrality of the uniform."
The school argued that an exemption in the Equal Opportunity Act, Section 42, allows schools to set and enforce "reasonable" standards of dress for students.
The matter has been viewed by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission as a test case for Section 42.
The school has also relied on another exemption, that allows a school that is "wholly or mainly for students of a particular sex, race [or] religious belief" to turn away students of a different group.
Lawyer for the commission, Elizabeth Bennett, told the tribunal this exemption was designed to be inclusive, not exclusive.
For instance, the exemption would allow a school for students with disabilities to exclude students without disabilities but it did not allow for the inverse.
"It is intended to allow a group to include those it seeks to advance," she said, arguing that even if the school enrols other Sikh students it was discriminatory to exclude Sikh students who wore turbans.
"It's an attempt to rely on the exemption selectively."
Ms Bennett said the school was in effect saying that "we're happy to have Sikhs who don't make any trouble, who don't manifest their religion in any way that makes me feel uncomfortable ... we're happy to have Sikhs as long as they stay at the back of the classroom and don't make any trouble."
Sidhak currently attends a state school, where he is allowed to wear the turban.
The hearing continues.
Poll
You will need Cookies enabled to use our Voting Feature.
Is Melton Christian College right to block turban-wearing students?
Poll closes in 1 days.
Disclaimer: These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinion only of visitors who have chosen to participate.
Is Melton Christian College right to block turban-wearing students?
Poll closes in 1 days.
Disclaimer: These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinion only of visitors who have chosen to participate.
104 comments
Comment are now closed