Paris, Nov. 6 (NNN): Strictly enforcing its controversial law banning conspicuous religious signs and apparel in country’s schools, an institution has expelled three Sikh students for refusing to remove their turbans, their lawyer has said.

Authorities in the Louise Michel high school in Bobigny, northeast of Paris, on Friday expelled the three teenagers at disciplinary hearings ordered by a court, said lawyer Felix de Belloy.

The Sikh boys had been suspended since September 23 pending the disciplinary hearings on Friday.

A court last month ordered the hearings to decide the fate of the boys, who had earlier been confined to classes in a cafeteria apart from other students since the start of the school year.

Sikhs asked the court to force school officials to take action by either accepting or expelling the boys. The students had made a concession by accepting to wear a "keski" a smaller version of the full turban, but the panel did not accept that offer, the lawyer said.

Friday’s school ruling was the latest twist in France's effort to apply a new law banning religious symbols at public schools. The ban, which includes Islamic headscarves, Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses, took effect at the start of the school year.

At least eight Muslim girls have already been expelled under the law.

Islamic headscarves were the law's main target because of concerns that growing Muslim fundamentalism in France was weakening the nation's secular roots.

Turbans had been left out of the marathon debate over the measure, but Sikhs later learned that the head covering also was subject to the ban.

Meanwhile, at a time when several countries are focusing on India to attract students, France's turban ban in its institutions could prove counter-productive to its "Study in France" campaign.

Several French institutions are among the scores of universities eying the vast Indian student market by marketing professional and vocational courses.

Universities, colleges and other institutes from the US, Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and European countries are marketing their courses in North India, especially Indian Punjab.

The foreign university tag has caught on among Indian students in the past decade. Many believe this provides them better job opportunities. However, a leading education consultant here said the French law banning religious symbols would do no good to that country's educational institutions as a majority of students applying from Punjab are Sikhs.

Under the new French law, students would not be allowed to wear any headgear symbolising religion. This would ban turbans worn by Sikhs who keep long hair on the head in accordance with their distinct religious identity.

The head of Sikhs has to be kept covered at all times. Several Sikh students were turned away from classes in French schools in the last couple of months when the ban was enforced.