This, somehow, is supposed to undermine the "extremism" that led to the UK's suicide bomb attacks on the tubes and bus last July.
The article in the Guardian quoted him as saying:
"Many teachers would feel very uncomfortable about their ability to teach students who were covering their faces... And I doubt many students would feel it was acceptable to be taught by someone who had chosen to veil their face."
Interesting notion, that - clearly we should tolerate only that which feels comfortable to us, and which we deem acceptable.
If one of my students arrives in lycra cycle shorts, and I feel uncomfortable about my ability to teach students in lycra cycle shorts, can we please ban those?
Or what if... <whisper> the students find it unacceptable to be taught by someone who <even quieter whisper> wears stripey legwarmers.... will those get banned, too?