Student to change school, cites stress over Hijab row in Kerala school
A father seeks a transfer for his daughter after a Kochi school denied her hijab, citing mental distress and potential communal conflict.
The father of the class 8 student, who was denied permission to attend classes wearing a hijab (headscarf) at a Catholic management school in Kochi, said Friday that he would obtain a transfer certificate (TC) and seek admission for his daughter at a different school.
The decision of PM Anas, the father of the student at St Rita’s Public School in Palluruthy, comes after the school management stressed on the need for a written declaration from him that the student would follow the school’s uniform code. Earlier, the general education department, which had ordered an inquiry, had stated that the student had every right to wear a hijab (headscarf) at the school as part of her religious freedom.
“There are two reasons why I have decided to obtain a TC. One, the school principal’s remark that my daughter wearing hijab would spread fear among other students has caused her a lot of mental distress. Two, even though the education department has taken a decision in my favour, there is a chance that the continuation of my daughter’s studies there would cause communal conflict,” Anas told reporters.
He said that he had gotten calls from education department officials offering all assistance for the continuation of his daughter’s studies.
At the same time, the school principal Sr Heleena underscored that the school was ready to offer education to the student ‘as long as she followed it’s rules and regulations’, implying that it was not ready to tweak the dress code to allow the wearing of the hijab.
General Education Minister V Sivankutty said in Thiruvananthapuram that the school officials ‘would be held responsible if the student undergoes mental distress due to the ongoing row.’
“No school management should think that they can administrate on their own without any oversight,” he said.
Kerala HC declines interim stay on DDE report
The Kerala high court Friday declined to put an interim stay on the report of the deputy director of education (DDE) asking the school to permit the student wearing the hijab.
Despite the school pleading for a stay, Justice VG Arun orally remarked that he could not do so.
The court asked the State attorney to get instructions from the State government on the directions in the DDE report.
