Norway has passed a law banning niqabs and burkas at all education institutions.

The new bill, which Norway¡¯s parliament?passed in early June, will apply to students and teachers alike at schools and universities, as well as to staff at day-care centres in ¡°teaching situations¡±.

Proposals to outlaw all clothing that fully or partially covers the face in education providers were backed by a majority in two rounds of voting separated by three days, in accordance with Norway¡¯s parliamentary procedure, the website reported.

The new rule over face veils, which was proposed last year, was welcomed by the anti-immigration Progress Party, which called it ¡°very good news¡±.

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¡°When Progress in 2003 proposed a total ban on the niqab and burka, we were laughed at,¡± ?shild Bruun-Gundersen, an MP with the party, told the newspaper?Bergens Tidende, adding that ¡°in a few years¡¯ time, we believe that Norwegian politicians will be ready to pass a total ban on the niqab in public¡±.

Several universities have, however, spoken out against the law. The NHH Norwegian School of Economics called it ¡°strange and dramatic¡±, while the University of Bergen and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology both said it was unnecessary.

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The law follows a similar bill?that was passed by Denmark last month and was criticised by human rights groups including Amnesty International.

¡°The ban is a clear signal that in Norway we expect to see each other¡¯s faces,¡± said Ms Bruun-Gundersen, who said that she would ¡°continue to work towards a total ban¡±.

jack.grove@timeshighereducation.com