Pupil’s refusal to shake hands with teacher leads to walk out

From the German edition of The Local

When the teacher at the Kurt-Tucholsky School extended her hand to congratulate a Muslim student on passing his Abitur exams (the German A-Level equivalent), the student declined, offering his wrist instead.

He explained to her privately that his actions weren’t due to a lack of respect, but for religious reasons, local media reported. 

However, when he went on to refuse to shake the female headteacher’s hand, some members of staff felt he had crossed a line. Several teachers wanted the student to be sent out from the event, but headteacher Andrea Lüdtke refused. 

Five teachers decided to boycott the rest of the event and there were “intense discussions” among teachers and students, the Hamburger Morgenpost reported.

“We are now considering how to show that we cannot tolerate such behaviour,” she said, adding that it was the first time that shaking hands had been an issue at the school.