Teachers at Trikomo’s Bekirpasha high school went on strike on Friday over “pressure” being put on them by the north’s ‘education ministry’ in the midst of the “headscarf crisis” which has been rumbling on for over a month after the ruling coalition twice legalised the wearing of hijabs by girls at public schools.

Cyprus Turkish secondary education teachers’ trade union (Ktoeos) leader Selma Eylem told the Cyprus Mail that the school’s headteacher has been “calling teachers to his office and pressuring them” over the matter.

Additionally, she said, a letter was sent by the ‘education ministry’ to the school on Thursday announcing that an investigation would be launched into the teachers’ refusal to teach children who had arrived at school wearing religious garments after the ruling coalition legalised it.

She added that attempts have also been made to “prevent pupils from wearing black T-shirts” to school, in light of an initiative started by pupils to wear black T-shirts as a show of support to their teachers in the matter.

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The Bekirpasha high school was one of two schools in the north which made headlines amid the headscarf crisis, with one girl having entered the school last Wednesday wearing a hijab and her teachers as such having refused to teach her classes.

Last month, scheduled school exams did not go ahead after a girl arrived at school wearing a black chador – a full-body cloak which covers the body from head to toe, leaving only the face exposed. Meanwhile, a boy turned up in a taqiyah, which is a small round skullcap.

The strike comes amid a wave of protests in the north against the legalisation of hijabs in schools, with an estimated 13,000 people had taken to the streets to protest against the law last week.

This week, fires have been lit outside the north’s ‘parliament’ every evening, with around 2,000 people having attended the first lighting of a fire on Monday, and various musical performances having been staged.

Protests and the lighting of fires are set to continue every weekday evening until April 28, the deadline teachers and their supporters have set the ruling coalition to change the law before measures escalate.

Meanwhile on Friday, Cyprus Turkish teachers’ trade union (Ktos) leader Burak Mavis also confirmed to the Cyprus Mail that next week, the nightly protests will move around the island.

Monday’s protest is set to take place in Kyrenia, while Wednesday’s protest will take place in Famagusta and Thursday’s protest will take place in Morphou. The protests will return to Nicosia on Tuesday and Friday.