COPENHAGEN: The Danish government said Wednesday that it is proposing to extend the country’s ban on full-face veils in public places to schools and universities. “Burqas, niqabs, or other clothing that hides people’s faces have no place in a Danish classroom,” Minister for Immigration and Integration Rasmus Stoklund said in a statement. “There is already a ban on face coverings in public spaces, and this should of course also apply in educational institutions,” he added. In August 2018, Denmark banned the wearing full-face Islamic veils like the burqa and niqab in public places, with offenders subject to a fine. Human rights campaigners and religious groups have criticised the ban as discriminatory and as a violation of both freedom of religion and women’s freedom of choice. Supporters conversely argue it enables Muslims of immigrant backgrounds to better integrate into Danish society.