Students will be banned from wearing abaya, a loose-fitting full-length robe worn by some Muslim women, in France’s state-run schools.

The Education Minister Gabriel Attal has said the rule will be applied as soon as the new school year starts on September 4.

France has a strict ban on religious signs in state schools and government buildings, arguing that they violate secular laws.

The move comes after months of debate over the wearing of abayas in French schools, which has been increasingly worn in schools, leading to a political divide over them.