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A CBSE-affiliated school run by the Latin Catholic Church in Kerala’s Ernakulam district is at the centre of a controversy after a student was denied entry for wearing a hijab. After the issue at St Rita’s Public School in Palluruthy escalated into heated confrontations between the student’s parents and the school management, the parent-teacher association (PTA) declared a two-day holiday on October 13 and 14 to prevent further unrest.
The Kerala High Court granted police protection to the school on Monday, October 13, following a plea by the school management.
The issue began when a class 8 student, who had reportedly followed the prescribed uniform for four months, wore a hijab to school on October 7. The hijab is a scarf wrapped around the head, covering the hair, neck and ears. School authorities said that her attire did not conform to the prescribed dress code. According to the school, she was asked to comply “in a loving way”.
The matter escalated when the student yet again donned a hijab when she came to school on October 10. “We have a prescribed uniform in the school, and all should maintain that uniformity. We had informed students of this at the time of admission. The student had followed the school’s dress code for four months. But one fine morning, she came flouting the uniform code. We asked her to remove the hijab in a loving way and she complied. The next day, her mother came to school and we informed her that the student has to follow the rules and regulations,” said Sr Heleena, the school principal.
She added that the situation turned volatile when the student’s father arrived at the school accompanied by several others. “On October 10, the child came again without following the prescribed uniform. Then we called the parents. Her father came with a few others; they started shouting and started a live video. They spoke in abusive language while classes were in session,” Sr Heleena told the media.
The student’s father, Aziz, argued that his daughter had not violated the rules in any disruptive way. “For the last four months, she went to school with a scarf. But she hadn’t pinned it like a hijab. Her mother has gone to the school several times to discuss the rule. When I went to speak with the principal, the PTA president and others spoke to me very sternly,” he said.
Meanwhile, state Education Minister V Sivankutty reiterated the government’s stance on school uniform policies. “The school will have a uniform, and all should follow that. Anything that hides the uniform will cause difficulties. Parents and students should cooperate with the concerned school managements. We should not create issues like other states over what we wear,” the Minister stated.