Parents sue UK school for stopping Hindu boy from putting on tilak

Parents of a nine-year-old British Hindu boy have approached the UK high court after his primary school in London allegedly stopped him from wearing a tilak on his forehead, news agency PTI reported on Sunday.The boy, who belongs to the Swaminarayan faith tradition, had been studying at Vicar's Green Primary School in west London since 2021. He had worn the sacred religious marking, known as Tilak-Chandlo, to school for several years without any objection.However, the school raised concerns over the practice in late 2025, triggering a dispute that eventually led his parents to withdraw him from the institution and initiate legal proceedings.“As parents, it has been heartbreaking to see our son go through this simply because he wanted to practise his faith,” the parents said in a statement released by their legal team this weekend.“He had worn his Tilak-Chandlo to school for years without difficulty, and we never imagined that something so sacred to our family would become a source of distress,” they said.“Our son was just an ordinary little boy who enjoyed learning and spending time with his friends. His religious marking did not hurt anyone or prevent him from being a good pupil.“We have always taught our children to respect every religion, and we simply ask that the same respect be shown to ours. We hope that no other child will have to choose between their education and their faith,” they added.The family has filed a case in the High Court of England and Wales, seeking £25,000 in damages. The proceedings are ongoing, and the allegations remain disputed.“This case goes beyond one child or one school. It raises important questions about religious freedom and equality in British education,” the lawyer representing the child said.“No child should feel compelled to choose between their faith and their education. We hope these proceedings will help clarify the rights of children from all religious backgrounds,” he added.The family has also alleged that after the school objected to the religious marking, staff repeatedly questioned the boy about his religious practices and restricted his participation in certain school activities.The school, however, has denied allegations of discrimination, saying it acted sensitively, recognised the family's religious beliefs and offered alternative arrangements that the parents chose not to accept.Vicar's Green Primary School has maintained that it values and respects the diverse cultural and religious backgrounds of its community. It said its policy was designed to “promote cohesion, fairness, equality and a shared sense of belonging while preventing division or disruption within the school community”.The family's legal challenge is being supported by interfaith initiative Action for Harmony.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.