An eight-year-old Hindu student was reportedly compelled to leave his primary school in London after facing alleged discrimination for wearing a Tilak-Chandlo, a sacred Hindu symbol applied to the forehead, advocacy group Insight UK has said.

The incident, which occurred at Vicar’s Green Primary School, has raised concerns about religious inclusivity and safeguarding in British schools.

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According to Insight UK — a British Hindu and Indian community advocacy body — school staff repeatedly asked the child to explain and justify his religious practice, a conduct the group described as “entirely inappropriate for a minor.”

Insight UK further claimed that the school’s headteacher monitored the child during break times in a manner that the pupil found intimidating, leading him to withdraw from play and isolate himself from his classmates.

It was also alleged that the child was removed from positions of responsibility solely because of his religious observance — actions which, if proven, would amount to direct religious discrimination under the UK’s Equality Act 2010, where religion is a protected characteristic.

A spokesperson for Insight UK said, “No child should feel watched, singled out, or isolated because of their faith, especially not from a person of authority. Such experiences can have lasting emotional impacts and raise serious safeguarding questions.”

The child’s parents, along with other Hindu families at the school, reportedly made repeated efforts to engage with both the headteacher and school governors, explaining the religious significance of Hindu practices such as the Tilak-Chandlo.

However, the group claims these attempts were met with dismissive responses, with leadership showing an unwillingness to acknowledge or understand Hindu traditions.

Insight UK also says that at least four Hindu children have been forced to leave Vicar’s Green Primary School amid similar conflicts — a situation that has drawn wider criticism from concerned parents and community groups.