A court in southern Egypt has convicted a teacher of child abuse and given her a six-month suspended sentence after she cut the hair of two schoolgirls for not wearing the Muslim headscarf.

The incident last month in the village of Qurna sparked criticism from rights groups and local officials. The case falls into a broader debate in Egypt over personal and religious freedoms amid the rise of Islamist political movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood.

The teacher, Eman Abu Bakar, who wears the niqab that leaves only her eyes visible, was transferred to another school after the incident. But the father of one of the girls and a national centre for childhood rights filed a complaint, accusing her of abuse. Berbesh Khairi el-Rawi said Abu Bakar forced his daughter to stand with her hands above her head for two hours before cutting her hair.

The teacher was quoted as saying she cut her students' hair after asking them repeatedly to cover their heads. A student then handed her a pair of scissors, she said, and he and other pupils urged her to "implement" the threats.

The court also fined Abu Bakar $8.