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The Kerala student who sought permission to wear a hijab in class has decided to leave her school. Anas Naina, the father of the Class 8 student at St Rita’s Public School in Palluruthy, said that several people were trying to exploit the issue for political and communal gains, and that his daughter had suffered a mental breakdown over the past few days. The family has therefore decided to obtain her transfer certificate and move her to another school.
In a Facebook post, Anas wrote that both the Kerala government and the Education Department had responded positively to his daughter’s request to wear the hijab, which he described as her “fundamental right.” However, he said the response from the school authorities was “painful.” “Some teachers, who are nuns wearing similar attire, told my daughter that wearing the hijab might frighten other students. This statement left her deeply distressed,” he said.
He alleged that the intervention of the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) president was “communal,” and said it caused severe mental distress to both him and his daughter, leading to their decision to transfer her to another school. “We request the school authorities, PTA, and other parties not to misuse our names or actions to disturb communal harmony in society,” he added.
The controversy began after St Rita’s Public School, a CBSE-affiliated institution run by the Latin Catholic Church, refused to allow a student to wear a hijab. The Class 8 student, who had reportedly followed the prescribed uniform for four months, wore a hijab to school on October 7.
Following this, the Kerala government and the Education Department conducted an inquiry, which concluded that expelling a student from class for wearing a headscarf was a serious violation of conduct and a breach of the Right to Education Act. State General Education Minister V Sivankutty subsequently issued an order directing the school to allow the student to wear a headscarf in accordance with her faith.
However, School Principal Sr Heleena disputed the findings, calling the inquiry report “untrue,” and cited a 2018 Kerala High Court order that upheld the right of private schools to decide their own uniforms.