Muslim students in a northern Swiss region could face a fine of up to 5,000 Swiss francs ($5,042) if they refuse to shake a teacher's hand.
The seemingly strange decision comes about two months after two Muslim schoolboys refused to shake a woman teacher's hand. They said that physical contact with a woman who was not a family member went against their conservative religious beliefs.
Initially, authorities tried to accommodate the boy's conservative stance, allowing them to forego handshaking with all teachers, women and men.
However after deliberation, the department of education, culture and sport in Basel-Country, where the concerned boys study, decided to force all students to shake all teachers' hands.
"The public interest with respect to equality between men and women and the integration of foreigners significantly outweighs the freedom of conscience (freedom of religion) of the students," the department said, according to The Local .
"A teacher has the right to demand a handshake," the statement added.
Moving forward, any student who refuses to shake hands could bring a massive fine of 5,000 Swiss francs home to their parents... Talk about disciplinary measures!
So... this means students are forced to touch their teachers?
While it may seem strange to many for someone to refrain from shaking hands with the opposite gender, isn't it equally weird to threaten to fine someone if they don't touch another person's hand?
Just saying...